Researchers Develop a Soft Battery That Has the Consistency of Toothpaste

From our cell phones to our smartwatches and laptops, we’re surrounded by battery-powered devices. Today, batteries are solid, voluminous components of our technology—but what if they could be malleable, flexible, and even printable? Embracing this idea, researchers in Sweden have developed a fluid battery that can be shaped into different forms. As detailed in a study published April 11 in the journal Science, the battery makes use of electrodes—key conductive materials in batteries—in fluid form. The novel soft structure paves the way for innovative designs of future battery-powered technology. “Batteries are the largest component of all electronics. Today they are solid and quite bulky. But with a soft and conformable battery, there are no design limitations. It can be integrated into electronics in a completely different way and adapted to the user,” Aiman Rahmanudin, a co-author of the study, said in a university statement. “The texture is a bit like toothpaste. The material can ... Read full article.