National Nano Engineering Conference Preview

Carbon nanotubes have an important place in nanotechnology. From nanoelectronics to high-strength composites, there is a large effort worldwide in research and development of these materials for uses such as energy storage. Dr. Pulickel Ajayan, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), is a Nano 50 winner in the Innovator category, and is part of an RPI team that has developed a new energy storage device that easily could be mistaken for a simple sheet of black paper.

The nanoengineered battery is lightweight, ultra-thin, completely flexible, and geared toward meeting the trickiest design and energy requirements of tomorrow’s gadgets, implantable medical equipment, and transportation vehicles. It can function in temperatures up to 300°F and down to 100 below zero, is completely integrated, and can be printed like paper. Another key feature is the capability to use human blood or sweat to help power the battery. More than 90% of the device is made up of cellulose, the same plant cells used in paper.

Dr. Ajayan and his team infused this paper with aligned carbon nanotubes, which give the device its black color. The nanotubes act as electrodes and allow the storage devices to conduct electricity. The device can provide the long, steady power output comparable to a conventional battery, as well as a supercapacitor’s quick burst of high energy. It also can be rolled, twisted, folded, or cut into any number of shapes with no loss of mechanical integrity or efficiency. The paper batteries can also be stacked, like a ream of printer paper, to boost the total power output.

The components are molecularly attached to each other: the carbon nanotube print is embedded in the paper, and the electrolyte is soaked into the paper. The end result is a device that looks, feels, and weighs the same as paper. Along with use in small handheld electronics, the paper batteries’ light weight could make them ideal for use in automobiles, aircraft, and even boats. The paper also could be molded into different shapes, such as a car door, which would enable important new engineering innovations.

Learn more about RPI’s nanotube energy storage technology from Dr. Ajayan in the CNT Advances for Nanoelectronics Session at 3:45 pm on Wednesday, November 14.