Bio-Batteries

Energy storage based on flexible nanocomposite paper

Andrew Burke Biomedical Engineering University of Rhode Island February th! "## Electronics have influenced many characteristics of the late "#th and "$st century% A portion of this influence involves the battery! which has become well known as an energy source for mobile devices and electrical units re&uiring autonomy% 'hen a charge is re&uired! the positive and negative leads of a battery are connected through a load! i%e an electrical circuit! which causes an electrochemical reaction to release electrons% (his method re&uires three things) electrodes! a spacer! and electrolytes% A new investigation into multi*walled nanotubes +,'-(. at Rensselaer /olytechnic Institute has developed a system comprised mostly of plant cellulose found in paper% (he nanocomposite paper contains carbon nanotubes created using 0hemical 1apor 2eposition +012. on a silicon substrate% (he nanoporous paper can be constructed to form supercapacitors or 3i*ion batteries depending on the layering methods! but may be most useful when doubled as a hybrid capacitor4battery% (he appearance of this nanoporous paper resembles normal paper! but in this case would be black on one side containing carbon nanotubes and gray on the side of cellulose% (he carbon nanotubes give the paper conductivity and will serve a vital role in the battery when utili5ing one of many possible electrolytic fluids! an Aluminum current collector! and 3ithium anode% (hese electrolytic fluids range from room temperature ionic fluids ++R(I3.!$*butyl!6* methylimida5olium chloride +7bmIm870l8. . to biofluids such as sweat! urine! or blood% In particular! blood +tested as human whole blood in 9" E2(A. may prove to become the most resourceful of these biofluids as it worked efficiently as an electrolyte and :measured at a scan rate of ;# m14s at room temperature%< $ As an end effect! the blood showed a higher capacitance in comparison with sweat at $=F4g to $"F4g with an operating voltage of >"%?1! respectively% (he battery is #@ plant cellulose! retaining all the flexible properties of paper and it can withstand a broad range of thermal fluctuation +$ ;*?"6 9.% (his ,'-( cellulose construction is hailed as environmentally friendly and can form a free standing organic supercapacitor when in combination with R(I3% (o create a battery! superconductor! or hybrid! the nanocomposite paper must be layered with a current collector using (i4Au or Aluminum foil and a 3ithium anode plate% 0onnecting the capacitor+s. in parallel with the battery will create a dynamic hybrid capable of cyclical charge*discharge behavior% (his has been shown to retain good performance of over $## cycles with electrolytic R(I3% (here is a large disparity between the first irreversible capacity of +>?6# mAh4g. and a capacity of $$# mAh4g in subse&uent reversible cycles% (he experiment was produced by powering a red 3E2 with between 6%A to #%$1 at a constant $#mA4g current% (he fabrication possibilities for supercapacitors and miniature 3i*ion batteries are robust with the emergence of the flexible nanocomposite paper% (his technology could be applied to a wide range of disciplines with a temperature variance ranging far below and above normal organic conditions and with many a&ueous or non* a&ueous fluids acting as electrolyte sources% Application could range from aeronautics to biomedical services powering pacemakers! biosensors! and future prosthetics% -anocomposite paper can adapt to practically any spacial re&uirements and can be stacked for a desired system voltage source% (he production method is still in development! but this technology is expected to be streamlined for future demand% References /ulickel ,% ABayan! 1ictor 3% /ushparaB! ,anikoth ,% ChaiBumon! Ashavani 9umar! et% al% :Flexible energy storage devices based on nanocomposite paper%< Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U S A. 2007 August 21; 104( 4!" 1 #74$1 #77 -oyes! 9atherine :-anotubes /ower /aper*(hin Batteries%< (ech'orld-ews% Aug% $? "##D %htt&"''(((.techne(s(orld.com'story'#)) .ht ml* Cilverman! Eacob% F0ould blood be used to power batteriesG%F #A Ceptember "##D% HowCtuff'orks%com% %htt&"''electronics.ho(stuff(or+s.com',lood,attery.htm* 07 .e,ruary 200/.