U.S. develops spray-painted batteries or can turn any object into a battery

The operating principle of a lithium-ion battery is to exchange charge between the positive and negative electrodes. Compared to other rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries are lighter, have greater output power and more power, and are also safer.

Researchers at Rice University in Houston, Texas, USA turned the five components of a typical lithium-ion battery into liquids, which were then sprayed on glass slides, stainless steel sheets, glazed tiles, and even beer mugs. These five components are polymer barriers between the two current collectors, the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the two electrodes. The first author of the report, Niram Star, said: "Basically, this method allows us to turn any object or surface into a battery."

In one of the experiments, the team sprayed the sprayed batteries on nine tiles and then connected the nine tiles. One of the tiles was attached to a solar cell and was irradiated with a white tube in the laboratory to charge the tile battery. After the battery was fully charged, the nine tiles were connected to a set of 40 light-emitting diodes (LEDs). These LEDs were left to glow for more than six hours at a voltage of 2.4 volts.

The research team also conducted 60 charge-discharge tests on these batteries, demonstrating that the battery's capacity has only "dropped a little" after multiple charges and discharges.

The team described the spray battery as "a paradigm shift in battery design," which may also bring new developments to the solar field. Niramsin said: “We can install solar cells on the surface of this type of tiled battery and then spread it on the surface of the house’s building so that these tiles can absorb solar energy and convert solar energy into electricity. And store these powers."

However, the spray battery has a fatal weakness. Its liquid uses toxic, flammable and corrosive electrolytes and must be sprayed in a dry and oxygen-free environment, which greatly limits its application in real life. The research team is actively working to solve this problem so that the spray battery will soon become a battery that everyone can use.