Scientists from the University of Central Florida research lab have developed a nanowire which can become supercapacitors to store energy and they can be woven in the fabric of a jacket.
The researchers said that by taking copper wire as starting point, special fibres could also be developed with nanostructures to conduct and store energy.
Professor Jayan Thomas and PhD student Zenan Yu placed a sheath over the copper wire and grew nanowhiskers over the surface of the wire, which were then treated with a special alloy to create an electrode.
Since two electrodes were required to store energy, the researches added a plastic sheet around the whiskers and wrapping it around using a metal sheath while both the layers were glued together with a special gel.
It helped in creating a supercapacitor on the outside of the copper wire, with inner wire channelling energy while the layers around the wire independently store energy.
Thomas believes that the technique can be transferred to other types of materials and can help in developing specially treated clothing fibres which can store energy.
He says flexible solar cells and these fibres can be used together to make a jacket to power electronic gadgets and other devices.
Thomas said: "It’s an interesting idea. When we did it and started talking about it, everyone we talked to said ‘hmm, never thought of that. It’s unique’."
The findings have been published in the June 30 issue of the material science journal Advanced Materials and science magazine Nature.
The scientists say that the technology can be used fto design and develop electrical vehicles, space-launch vehicles and portable electronic devices. It could also help in miniaturising electronics devices.
Thomas is a faculty member at the UCF Nanoscience Technology Center with joint appointments in the College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL) and the College of Engineering and Computer Science while Yu works in Thomas’ Nano Energy-Photonics Group.
