A new type of battery has been developed that, its creators say, could revolutionise the way we power consumer electronics and vehicles.
The University of Illinois team says its use of 3D-electrodes allows it to build "microbatteries" that are many times smaller than commercially available options, or the same size and many times more powerful.
It adds they can be recharged 1,000 times faster than competing tech. However, safety issues still remain.
The researchers said their innovation should help address the issue that while smartphones and other gadgets have benefited from miniaturised electronics, battery advances have failed to keep pace.
Batteries work by having two components - called electrodes - where chemical reactions occur. In simple terms, the anode is the electrode which releases electrons as a result of a process called oxidation when the battery is being used as a power source.