BACKGROUND:  : A battery typically consists of one or more cells which are in turn made up from two electrodes (anode and cathode), an electrolyte, and a porous separator. In many cases carbon black and/or metals are used as a metal for current collectors, to increase the conductivity of active materials, and as active electrode material in current battery designs. The disadvantage of using carbon black for these tasks is its relatively poor electrical conductivity (as compared to metals or carbon nanotubes), which requires large amounts of this material to be used. Metal current collectors, while providing good conductivity, have the disadvantage of having a large mass, thus adversely affecting the energy density of the battery.

INNOVATION:  The invention includes a film of nanoscale wires, such as silver nanowires or carbon nanotubes in combination with nano or micro-scale particles as the electrodes. The invention describes a method of fabricating the nanowire films as well as battery architectures to take advantage of the high surface area of the films.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:  : The invention satisfies a need for light weight batteries (high energy density) that contain electrically conducting components for applications in radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, smart patches for medical applications, and printed, portable electronics.

ADVANTAGES

• Solution based deposition of all the components of the battery
• Easy integration onto devices such as RFID tags, printed electronics, and smart patches
• Nanowire networks offer higher conductivity than carbon black
• Nanowire networks offer high surface area for increased surface area contact for current collection
• Batteries can be fabricated onto a variety of substrates, such as polymeric surfaces, bio-compatible surfaces, and the like.

Reference: UCLA Case No. 2007-801