BY DIPPING ordinary paper or fabric in a special ink infused with nano-particles, a Stanford University engineer has found a way to cheaply and efficiently manufacture lightweight paper batteries and super-capacitors as well as stretchable, conductive textiles known as “eTextiles”.
Both are able to store energy while retaining the mechanical properties of ordinary paper or fabric, according to Yi Cui, an assistant professor at the leading US university.
While the technology is still new, the Cui team has envisioned numerous functional uses for their inventions.
Homes of the future could one day be lined with energy-storing wallpaper.
Gadget lovers would be able to charge their portable appliances on the go, simply plugging them into an outlet woven into their T-shirts.
Energy textiles might also be used to create moving-display apparel, reactive high-performance sportswear and wearable power for a soldier’s battle gear.
The key ingredients in developing these hi-tech products are not visible to the human eye.
Nano-structures, which can be assembled in patterns that allow them to transport electricity, may provide the solution to a number of problems encountered with electrical storage devices currently available on the market.
The type of nano-particle used in the Cui group’s experimental devices varies according to the intended function of the product – lithium cobalt oxide is a common compound used for batteries, while single-walled carbon nano-tubes are used for super-capacitors.
Cui leads a research group that investigates new applications of nano-scale materials of practical value, and lately, his team has focused on ways to integrate nano-technology into the realm of energy development.
“Energy storage is a pretty old research field,” said Cui.
“Super-capacitors, batteries – those things are old. How do you really make a revolutionary impact in this field? It requires quite a dramatic difference of thinking.”
While electrical energy storage devices have come a long way since Alessandro Volta debuted the world’s first electrical cell in 1800, the technology is facing yet another revolution.
With a little help from new science, the batteries of the future may not look anything like the bulky metal units we have grown accustomed to.
Nano-technology is favoured as a remedy both for its economic appeal and its capability to improve energy performance in devices that integrate it.
Cui said: “This is the right time to really see what we learn from nano-science and do practical applications that are extremely promising.
“The beauty of this is, it combines the lowest-cost technology that you can find to the highest-tech nano-technology to produce something great. I think this is a very exciting idea – a huge impact for society.”
Recommended for you
