Highly conductive paper for energy-storage devices

Liangbing  Hu; Jang Wook  Choi; Yuan  Yang; Sangmoo  Jeong; Fabio  La Mantia; Li-Feng  Cui; Yi  Cui

doi:10.1073/pnas.0908858106

New Research In

↵¹L.H., J.W.C., and Y.Y. contributed equally to this work.
Edited by Charles M. Lieber, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, and approved October 21, 2009 (received for review August 6, 2009)

Abstract

Paper, invented more than 2,000 years ago and widely used today in our everyday lives, is explored in this study as a platform for energy-storage devices by integration with 1D nanomaterials. Here, we show that commercially available paper can be made highly conductive with a sheet resistance as low as 1 ohm per square (Ω/sq) by using simple solution processes to achieve conformal coating of single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) and silver nanowire films. Compared with plastics, paper substrates can dramatically improve film adhesion, greatly simplify the coating process, and significantly lower the cost. Supercapacitors based on CNT-conductive paper show excellent performance. When only CNT mass is considered, a specific capacitance of 200 F/g, a specific energy of 30–47 Watt-hour/kilogram (Wh/kg), a specific power of 200,000 W/kg, and a stable cycling life over 40,000 cycles are achieved. These values are much better than those of devices on other flat substrates, such as plastics. Even in a case in which the weight of all of the dead components is considered, a specific energy of 7.5 Wh/kg is achieved. In addition, this conductive paper can be used as an excellent lightweight current collector in lithium-ion batteries to replace the existing metallic counterparts. This work suggests that our conductive paper can be a highly scalable and low-cost solution for high-performance energy storage devices.

Footnotes

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: yicui{at}stanford.edu
Author contributions: L.H., J.W.C., Y.Y., and Y.C. designed research; L.H., J.W.C., Y.Y., S.J., F.L.M., and L.-F.C. performed research; L.H., J.W.C., Y.Y., and Y.C. analyzed data; and L.H., J.W.C., Y.Y., and Y.C. wrote the paper.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.