A battery with a twist

Today’s electronics industry is increasingly focusing on computers or smartphones with screens that can be folded or rolled. Smart clothing items make use of wearable micro-devices or sensors to monitor bodily functions, for example. However, all these devices need an energy source, which is usually a lithium-ion battery.

Unfortunately, commercial batteries are typically heavy and rigid, making it fundamentally unsuitable for applications in flexible electronics or textiles. A remedy for this problem is now being created by Markus Niederberger, Professor for Multifunctional Materials at ETH Zurich, and his team. The researchers have developed a prototype for a flexible thin-film battery that can be bent, stretched and even twisted without interrupting the supply of power.

What makes this new battery special is its electrolyte – that part of the battery through which lithium-ions move when the battery is charged or discharged. This electrolyte was discovered by ETH doctoral student Xi Chen, lead author of the study that recently appeared in the scientific journal Advanced Materials.

Read more at ETH Zurich

Image Credit: ETH Zurich / Peter Rüegg

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