Scientists in the Triangle might have discovered a non-flammable liquid electrolyte that could be instrumental for longer-lasting lithium-ion batteries found in cell phones, laptops, and some electric cars.

The research could also provide a solution to the recent high-profile battery fires in the Tesla Model S car, iPhones, and Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.

Study co-author Joseph DeSimone is a chemical engineering professor at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He said finding batteries that can operate at extreme temperatures with longer-lasting mobile power is becoming increasingly important.

鈥淓verybody relies on the fact we can be disconnected from the grid and still be functional,鈥� DeSimone said. 鈥淲e require power. Our military requires power. A lot of our guys are jumping out of planes with 40 pounds of batteries.鈥�

DeSimone said their discovery could pave the way for lithium air batteries that would, some speculate, would allow electric vehicles to drive 500 miles on one charge 鈥� the equivalent of a tank of gas. Right now, one charge won't even take electric vehicles half that distance.

He said the discovery could be a game-changer on multiple levels.

鈥淧eople have speculated that if you have a battery that operates in this other regime, that you might not have batteries shorting out. And it should have the ability to function at low temps,鈥� DeSimone said. 鈥淪o you might have a whole host of performance advantages coupled with the safety advantage of being non-flammable.鈥�

The research appears in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.