A groundbreaking achievement by researchers has led to the creation of a slender, environmentally friendly zinc battery, offering a sustainable solution for powering our gadgets.
The batteries consist of electrodes printed on eco-friendly cellulose paper that has been strengthened with hydrogel layer. After use, the battery can simply be buried in the ground and will decompose entirely within a month.
In a test, the team demonstrated that the battery continued to operate even when cut into pieces, and its functionality remained unaffected by bending or twisting.
The team envisions that their innovative printed battery design could be particularly suitable for use in flexible electronics such as foldable smartphones or health monitors.
Professor Fan Hongjin, co-lead author of the study from NTU School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, remarked, “Conventional batteries come in various shapes and sizes, making it challenging to choose the right one for your device. Our research presents a more straightforward and cost-effective approach to battery production, where a single large battery unit can be customized seamlessly without any impact on its efficiency. These attributes make our paper batteries an excellent fit for the evolving field of flexible electronics.”
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