Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable seaweed-based paper battery for sustainable energy storage

Abstract

This article deals with the design and development of a seaweed-based paper battery, synthesized using different material coatings. Batteries have a high potential to power up the next generation of medical devices, electronics and hybrid vehicles but it require high working capacity. With the presence of several deficiencies like a regular, fluctuating voltage, spill out and damage issues, itching and irritation during human direct contact with wet and non-paper batteries, a need for dry and paper-based batteries has arisen. The design and fabrication of paper-based batteries with enhanced electrochemical and structural stability play a pivotal role to fix the above-mentioned problems. A battery made up of seaweed paper offers remarkable capacity with better performance and also helps to avoid the use of wood-based paper. The battery has been prepared with different materials of cathode and electrolyte, which are further tested for identifying an optimum match in terms of generated voltage. A biodegradability test and toxicity test were performed which ensured the eco-friendly nature of the proposed battery. The proposed battery is made of nanocomposites, which can pack more power into smaller spaces. Moreover, it is found that there is a reduction of weight by 58%, an enhancement of 16.7% in voltage capacity and eco-friendly compared to conventional AA 1.5–3.5 V Li-on battery.