Power

In remote areas of the world or in regions with limited resources, everyday items like electrical outlets and batteries are luxuries. Health care workers in these areas often lack electricity to power diagnostic devices, and commercial batteries may be unavailable or too expensive. New power sources are needed that are low-cost and portable.

Chinese scientists have developed flexible micro-batteries with high energy density and steady performance under extraordinary high-temperature.

Scientists in Hong Kong and China have combined a semi-transparent arrangement of anodes and cathodes with a transparent electrolyte to make the first ever photoluminescent microbattery that can simultaneously act as a power supply and a full-colour display.

Chinese scientists have found a kind of inorganic semiconductor, which has good ductility and flexibility at room temperature, which may be used in flexible electronics.

Researchers have developed a rechargeable yarn battery that is waterproof and flexible. It also can be cut into pieces and still work.

Solar cells have great potential as a source of clean electrical energy, but so far they have not been cheap, light, and flexible enough for widespread use. Now a team of researchers has found an innovative and promising way to improve solar cells and make their use in many applications more likely.

The rapid development of flexible and wearable electronics is giving rise to an exciting range of applications, from smart watches and flexible displays—such as smart phones, tablets, and TV—to smart fabrics, smart glass, transdermal patches, sensors, and more. With this rise, demand has increased for high-performance flexible batteries. Up to now, however, researchers have had difficulty obtaining both good flexibility and high energy density concurrently in lithium-ion batteries.

Scientists have created a customizable, fabric-like power source that can be cut, folded or stretched without losing its function.

If wearable electronics are to become commonplace, a breakthrough is required which allows them to be washable, stretchable and breathable. Using conventional inkjet techniques which are cheap, safe and environmentally friendly, researchers recently reported the successful printing of 2D material, creating integrated electronic circuits, directly onto fabrics.

A research team has developed an entirely textile-based, bacteria-powered bio-battery that could one day be integrated into wearable electronics.