Paper Power
A Korean research team has successfully developed a method to make paper lithium-ion batteries.
On Sept. 30, the Korea Forest Research Institute (KFRI) announced that its research team succeeded in developing a new technique to manufacture flexible paper lithium-ion batteries using electrodes and nanopaper separator membranes made from cellulose.
Nanopaper is a new type of porous and flexible paper by reducing cellulose to a nanoparticle size powder. A separator membrane divides the positive and negative terminals of a lithium-ion battery, and it is mostly made from plastic.
Paper lithium-ion batteries have very stable and excellent interface between electrodes, since nanopaper separator membranes can replace existing ones made of plastic. In particular, these batteries can be utilized as electrochemical devices, since they can function normally even after their shape is changed due to external pressure.
Flexible paper lithium-ion batteries are expected to draw a lot of attention in the future, since they could be used in things like roll-up displays and wearable electronic devices.
The research findings were first published online on Sept. 16 by Nano Letters, a monthly scientific journal published by the American Chemical Society.