Paper-based Battery Research Articles

Ultrafast all-polymer paper-based batteries.

Conducting polymers for battery applications have been subject to numerous investigations during the last two decades. However, the functional charging rates and the cycling stabilities have so far been found to be insufficient for practical applications. These shortcomings can, at least partially, be explained by the fact that thick layers of the conducting polymers have been used to obtain sufficient capacities of the batteries. In the present letter, we introduce a novel nanostructured high-surface area electrode material for energy storage applications composed of cellulose fibers of algal origin individually coated with a 50 nm thin layer of polypyrrole. Our results show the hitherto highest reported charge capacities and charging rates for an all polymer paper-based battery. The composite conductive paper material is shown to have a specific surface area of 80 m2 g−1 and batteries based on this material can be charged with currents as high as 600 mA cm−2 with only 6% loss in capacity over 100 subsequent charge and discharge cycles. The aqueous-based batteries, which are entirely based on cellulose and polypyrrole and exhibit charge capacities between 25 and 33 mAh g−1 or 38−50 mAh g−1 per weight of the active material, open up new possibilities for the production of environmentally friendly, cost efficient, up-scalable and lightweight energy storage systems.

Paper-based, printed zinc–air battery

Abstract A flexible battery is printed on paper by screen-printing a zinc/carbon/polymer composite anode on one side of the sheet, polymerising a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) cathode on the other side of the sheet, and applying a lithium chloride electrolyte between the two electrodes. The PEDOT cathode is prepared by inkjet printing a pattern of iron(III) p -toluenesulfonate as a solution in butan-1-ol onto paper, followed by vapour phase polymerisation of the monomer. The electrolyte is prepared as a solution of lithium chloride and lithium hydroxide and also applied by inkjet printing on to paper, where it is absorbed into the sheet cross-section. Measurements on a zinc/carbon-PEDOT/air battery in a similar configuration on a polyethylene naphthalate substrate shows a discharge capacity of up to 1.4 mAh cm −2 for an initial load of 2.5 mg zinc, equivalent to almost 70% of the zinc content of the anode, which generates 0.8 V at a discharge current of 500 μA. By comparison, the performance of the paper-based battery is lower, with an open-circuit voltage of about 1.2 V and a discharge capacity of 0.5 mAh cm 2 . It appears that the paper/electrolyte combination has a limited ability to take up anode oxidation products before suffering a reduction in ionic mobility. The effects of different zinc/carbon/binder combinations, differences in application method for the zinc/carbon composite and various electrolyte compositions are discussed.

The Salt and Paper Battery; Ultrafast and All-polymer Based

AbstractWe have recently developed a flexible battery using two common, inexpensive ingredients: cellulose and salt. This lightweight, rechargeable battery uses thin pieces of paper—originating from cellulose fibers from the environmentally polluting Cladophora sp.algae—as electrodes, while a solution of sodium chloride acts as the electrolyte. Conducting polymers for battery applications have been subject to numerous investigations during the last decades. However, the functional charging rates and the cycling stabilities have so far been found to be insufficient for practical applications. These shortcomings can, at least partially, be explained by the fact that thick layers of the conducting polymers have been used to obtain sufficient capacities of the batteries. We now introduce a novel nanostructured high-surface area electrode material for energy storage applications composed of cellulose fibers of algal origin individually coated with a 50 nm thin layer of polypyrrole. Our results show the hitherto highest reported charge capacities and charging rates for an all polymer paper-based battery. The composite conductive paper material is shown to have a specific surface area of 80 m2/g and batteries based on this material can be charged with currents as high as 600 mA/cm2. The aqueous-based batteries, which are entirely based on cellulose and polypyrrole and exhibit charge capacities between 25 and 33 mAh/g or 38-50 mAh/g per weight of the active material, open up new possibilities for the production of environmentally friendly, cost efficient, up-scalable and lightweight energy storage systems.