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Materials

Nanocomposite paper device stores energy

August 20, 2007 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 85, Issue 34

Carbon nanotubes, cellulose, and a room-temperature ionic liquid have been combined to create a nanocomposite paper that functions as a thin, lightweight, flexible energy-storage device (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2007, 104, 13574). "The paper can be rolled up, twisted, or bent to any curvature and is completely recoverable," say Victor L. Pushparaj and colleagues at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y. The nanotubes, nanoporous cellulose, and imidazolium-based ionic liquid serve as the electrodes, separator, and electrolyte, respectively, in an integrated nanocomposite layer. These layers can be stacked to create batteries, supercapacitors, and hybrids of these two types of devices. The researchers note that the discharge capacity and performance they observe "compare well" with figures reported for other flexible energy-storage devices. And, they add, their supercapacitors can provide a quick burst of energy over a much wider temperature range than commercial supercapacitors. The team has yet to develop a way to inexpensively mass-produce the devices, which might be used in smart cards, displays, and implantable medical devices.

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