1. PAPER BATTERY
A glimpse at future power storage
A.BHARADWAJA RAVI TEJA
Department of electronics and communication
Bapatla Engineering College
Bapatla, India
Email id: bharadwajart.aleo@gmail.com
ABSTRACT – This document covers the basic definition of a
paper battery, how a paper battery works, its construction and
structure, a brief description about its development, paper
battery durability and its uses. A paper battery consists of all the
components of a conventional battery but in what way it is
different from a conventional battery? What are the problems
faced in the construction of this paper battery? A paper battery
offers future power and plays a major role in miniaturisation of
electronic equipments.
KEYWORDS –Definition, Miniaturisation, Construction,
Structure, Development, Durability, Uses.
INTRODUCTION
What does a man need today?
What is he yearning for?
What change did a man want in electronics?
Questions may be many, but the answer for all the above
questions is miniaturisation, compactness, portability.
Today, man needs compactness and miniaturisation in every
gadget he use.
Today, man does not want a TV that occupies a corner of his
room... rather wants a TV that can be hung to the wall. Yes, it was
made possible by the use of integrated chips(IC’s). And we call it
a Paper Slim TV. The thickness of the TV hardly exceeds 4mm
now.
After inventing a desktop computer he just did not relax; he
invented a laptop so that he can carry it easily anywhere. The
working is same but the size is greatly reduced, so is its weight.
And in the same manner a cell phone emerged from landline
phone. And what not? He is making everything compact based on
his requirement.
When he is making such a big electronic goods compact, why
can’t he make a power source compact? YES, he can make a
power source too compact and it is possible through PAPER
BATTERY.
By now, you might be wondering what this paper battery
might be. Is this battery, paper slim or is this battery made from a
paper? Yes, what you are thinking is right. It is actually the both.
A Paper battery is made of paper and hence it is paper slim
too.
DESCRIPTION
A. DEFINITION
A paper battery is a flexible, ultra-thin energy storage and
production device formed by combining carbon nanotubes with a
conventional sheet of cellulose based paper.
A paper battery acts as both a high-energy battery and
supercapacitor, combining two components that are separate in
traditional electronics. This combination allows the battery to
provide both long-term, steady power production and bursts of
energy. Non-toxic, flexible paper batteries have the potential to
power the next generation of electronics, medical devices and
hybrid vehicles, allowing for radical new designs and medical
technologies.
Paper batteries may be folded, cut or otherwise shaped for
different applications without any loss of integrity or efficiency.
Cutting one in half, halves its energy production. Stacking them
multiplies power output. Early prototypes of the device are able to
produce 2.5 volt s of electricity from a sample the size of a
postage stamp.
Paper battery offers future power
They have produced a sample slightly larger than a postage
stamp that can store enough energy to illuminate a small light
bulb. But the ambition is to produce reams of paper that could one
day power a car.
Professor Robert Linhardt, of the Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute, said the paper battery was a glimpse into the future of
power storage. The team behind the versatile paper, which stores

2. energy like a conventional battery, says it can also double as a
capacitor capable of releasing sudden energy bursts for high-
power applications.
Fig. 1 A paper battery of size of a postage stamp
A paper battery is an ultra-thin electric battery engineered to
use a spacer formed largely of cellulose (the major constituent of
paper). It incorporates Nano scale structures to act as high
surface-area electrodes to improve the conduction of electricity
In addition to being ultra-thin, paper batteries are flexible and
environmentally-friendly, allowing integration into a wide range
of products. Their functioning is similar to conventional chemical
batteries with the important difference that they are non-corrosive
and do not require extensive housing.
Fig. 1 shows a prototype of a paper battery which was of the
size of a postage stamp.
B. HOW PAPER BATTERY WORKS
While a conventional battery contains a number of separate
components, the paper battery integrates all of the battery
components in a single structure, making it more energy efficient.
The research appears in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
"Think of all the disadvantages of an old TV set with tubes,"
said Professor Linhardt, from the New York-based institute, who
co-authored a report into the technology. "The warm up time,
power loss, component malfunction; you don't get those problems
with integrated devices. When you transfer power from one
component to another you lose energy. But you lose less energy
in an integrated device."
The battery contains carbon nanotubes, each about one
millionth of a centimetre thick, which act as an electrode. The
nanotubes are embedded in a sheet of paper soaked in ionic liquid
electrolytes, which conduct the electricity. The flexible battery
can function even if it is rolled up, folded or cut. Although the
power output is currently modest, Professor Linhardt said that
increasing the output should be easy.
C. CONSTRUCTION AND STRUCTURE
1) Construction: A very brief explanation has been provided.
• Cathode: Carbon Nanotube (CNT)
• Anode: Lithium metal (Li+)
• Electrolyte: All electrolytes (including bio electrolytes like
blood, sweat and urine)
• Separator: Paper
The process of construction can be understood in the following
steps:
• Firstly, a common Xerox paper of desired shape and size is
taken.
• Next, by conformal coating using a simple Mayer rod method,
the specially formulated ink with suitable substrates (known as
CNT ink) is spread over the paper sample.
• The strong capillary force in paper enables high contacting
surface area between the paper and nanotubes after the solvent is
absorbed and dried out in an oven.
• A thin lithium film is laminated over the exposed cellulose
surface which completes our paper battery. This paper battery is
then connected to the aluminium current collectors which connect
it to the external load.
• The working of a paper battery is similar to an electrochemical
battery except with the constructional differences.
2) Structure: The paper battery is designed to use a paper-thin
sheet of cellulose (which is the major constituent of regular paper,
among other things) infused with aligned carbon nanotubes. The
nanotubes act as electrodes, allowing the storage devices to
conduct electricity. The battery will currently provide a low,
steady power output, as well as a supercapacitor’s quick burst of
energy.
While a conventional battery contains a number of separate
components, the paper battery integrates all of the battery
components in a single structure, making it more energy efficient
and lighter.
Fig. 1 shows the constructional difference between a paper
battery and a conventional battery.

3. Fig. 2 Constructional difference between paper battery and conventional
battery
And from the Fig. 2, it is clear that except for the constructional
differences, all the components that are present in conventional
battery are present in a paper battery and the connections are
identical.
D. DEVELOPMENT
The creation of this Nano composite paper resulted from an
inspired group by: Dr. Robert Linhardt; Dr Pulickel Ajayan; and
Dr. Omkaram Nalamasu at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
developed the paper battery.
Victor Pushparaj, along with Shaijumon M. Manikoth,
Ashavani Kumar, and Saravanababu Murugesan, were co-authors
and lead researchers of the project. Other co-authors include Lijie
Ci and Robert Vajtai.
This cellulose based spacer is compatible with many possible
electrolytes. Researchers used ionic liquid, essentially a liquid
salt, as the battery’s electrolyte, as well as naturally occurring
electrolytes such as human sweat, blood, and urine. Use of an
ionic liquid, containing no water, would mean that there would
nothing in the batteries to freeze or evaporate, potentially
allowing operation in extreme temperatures.
Naturally occurring electrolytes might allow more
biocompatible batteries. Paper batteries were described by a
researcher as “a way to power a small device such as a pacemaker
without introducing any harsh chemicals – such as the kind that
are typically found in batteries — into the body.”
E. DURABILITY
Paper batteries are alleged to look, feel and weigh the same as
ordinary paper because its components are molecularly attached
to each other: the carbon nanotubes print is embedded in the
paper, and the electrolyte is soaked into the paper.
F. USES
The paper-like quality of the battery combined with the
structure of the nanotubes embedded within gives them their light
weight and low cost, making them ideal for portable electronics,
aircraft, automobiles, and toys (such as model aircraft), while
their ability to use electrolytes in the blood make them potentially
useful for medical devices such as pacemakers, medical
diagnostic equipment, and drug delivery transdermal patches.
A German healthcare company called KSW Microtech is
already using the battery to power monitoring of the temperature
of blood supplies.
The medical uses are particularly attractive because the
batteries do not contain any toxic materials and can be
biodegradable, unlike most chemical cells.
Paper battery technology can also be used in supercapacitors.
However, Professor Sperling cautions that commercial
applications may be a long way away, because nanotubes are still
relatively expensive to fabricate. Currently, devices a few inches
in size are being produced. In order to be commercially viable,
newspaper-size devices must be produced, as a paper battery of
such a size would be powerful enough to power a car.
G. DRAWBACKS
As the nanotubes are invisible to human eye and are minute,
there will be a problem encountered in wiring. Identification of
terminals becomes difficult.
Water resistance; In general, no battery is water resistant. So
is the Paper battery. But the main drawback is that this battery can
be easily damaged by water when compared to conventional
battery.
Extra care must be taken while handling this type of batteries.
Cost; since carbon nanotubes are highly expensive, cost of
the battery increases. It would be no way in comparison with
conventional batteries.
CONCLUSION
Except for some drawbacks, paper batteries greatly reduce
the size of electronic goods we use and help in miniaturisation.
This makes the equipment much compact and portable.
For employing these on large scale, cost of the paper batteries
must be greatly reduced. And a way must be found to overcome
the problem encountered in wiring.
A Paper Battery, no doubt, offers the future power.
This is just a glimpse at it. And miracles can happen in future
with the advent of this Paper Batteries, which we think are
impossible now.