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Abstract
We demonstrated a novel fabrication technique of 3-D biobattery packs by folding or stacking 2-D paper-based biobatteries for their series and/or parallel connections. A stackable, high-performance bacteria-powered battery was developed by folding two functional components (i.e. a conductive hydrophilic reservoir as an anode and a solid electron acceptor as a cathode) integrated into a single sheet of chromatography paper. Upon adding one drop of bacteria-containing liquid on the device, bacterial respiration transferred electrons from the organic liquid to the electrode, providing power to an external load. The various battery folding and/or stacking strategies with different series and/or parallel combinations significantly improved the power and current outputs. This battery manufacturing technique on paper can improve performance, simplify fabrication and connection, and revolutionize mass-production of large-scale flexible paper batteries, enabling the development of new types of powered, paper-based electronics. Traditionally, electronics have been designed around their batteries. In recent years, however, a new battery, known as the paper battery, has been developed that can easily conform to the size and shape of various electronics. The paper battery is becoming increasingly significant as technology tends towards thinner and more paper-like devices. This paper will include a technical discussion of how the paper battery works. It will assess the efficiency and explore the advantages of recent developments in the fabrication of paper batteries. Several applications of the paper battery will then be described, and ethical issues that arise with it will be explored. This paper will illustrate how the paper battery utilizes carbon nanotubes and cellulose in its design to create a flexible battery while maintaining electrical efficiency. Further discussion will detail how the paper battery integrates the components of a typical battery into a cohesive design that is paper thin. The advantages of this design include an increased range of applicability and a simpler, more efficient fabrication process. Applications that will be explored include smart cards, medical devices and solar panels. This description will be followed by a discussion on ethical issues surrounding the paper battery, such as nanotoxicology; since paper batteries use nanotechnology, any health risks must be evaluated, especially for medical applications. However, the paper battery is a promising innovation whose efficient use of space will open up thousands of possibilities for electronic and mechanical design.