Researchers at Rensselaer have 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.
Along with its ability to function in temperatures up to 300
degrees Fahrenheit and down to 100 below zero, the device is
completely integrated and can be printed like paper. The device
is also unique in that it can function as both a high-energy
battery and a high-power supercapacitor, which are generally
separate components in most electrical systems. Another key
feature is the capability to use human blood or sweat to help
power the battery. Details of the project are outlined in the
paper “Flexible Energy Storage Devices Based on Nanocomposite
Paper” published Aug. 13 in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences. The semblance to paper is