Researchers at Rice University in United States has recently presented an idea which can convert any surface into lithium-ion battery. This idea eliminates the need of particular design battery which are used today in most of the electronic devices and provide more convenient path for developing power source unit.
The basic theme behind this unique idea is to avoid the typical battery shape and element which somehow takes larger space in a device assembly. According to this idea, the elements of battery are first converted to liquid spray and are then applied over any surface including ceramics, glass and stainless steel and then packed together to form a perfect battery. The end result is called the painted lithium-ion battery which could last for up to six hours as per its experiment showed.
In the experiment researchers use bathroom ceramic tiles to paint the battery component as shown in the video which consists of five layers; with each representing the components of a traditional battery: two current collectors, a cathode, an anode and a polymer separator in the middle. Scientists used this design of battery to power a set of light-emitting diodes for six hours, providing a steady 2.4 volts.
Besides having some issues while developing this painted battery, scientists believed that the technology could be integrated with solar cells to give any surface a stand-alone energy capture and storage capability. In future if it is developed for commercial purpose, it can be painted on diverse shapes such as the curved surface of a ceramic mug too. Now lets have a look at the demo video given by the researchers of the university.
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