All about Flexible Macroelectronics

15 August 2007

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have designed a battery that can impact mobile, personal, and medical devices if put into mass production.

Dubbed the "nano-battery," it can withstand extreme temperatures (300°F to -100°F), and its production is printable: 90% of the material is made of cellulose (paper material) with the remainder composed of carbon nanotubes. This gives the battery much flexibility without any damage to it. It can run on human blood and sweat if necessary, while also running as a conventional battery, with long, steady power, or as a supercapacitator, with high bursts of energy.

Because of its flexibility and lightweight properties, nano-batteries can be easily molded and shaped. It would be possible to simply utilize them in cars, airplanes, and boats as panels or doors of the vehicles. Also, because of the cellulose and lack of toxic chemicals, the device is environmentally safe.

For details, check out their publication “Flexible Energy Storage Devices Based on Nanocomposite Paper” in the Aug. 13, 2007 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.