A team of scientists has proven that it’s possible to make simple, disposable batteries out of paper.
Such devices could enable the creation of “a wide range of low-power, single-use disposable electronics,” from smart labels to medical diagnostic devices, the team wrote in a statement.
The paper “cells” are printed with inks carrying charged metal particles that replicate the positive and negative ends of a battery, according to a design published in Scientific Reports.
Scientists activated the cells by dropping water onto them — allowing electrons to flow from negative to positive side and creating an electric current that continued until the paper dried out.
The team was able to power a clock-radio display using the energy from a fingertip-sized paper-cell — producing about as much voltage as a standard double-A battery.
But unlike…