'Increasing' Lithium-Ion Battery to Be Released

The 'Glover,' the grand prize winner in the product design category of the '2014 Samsung Future Display Contest,' represents a smart glove utilizing wearable display technology. (Unrelated to the article content)

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Domestic researchers have developed a lithium-ion battery that can be flexibly stretched. If this battery is commercialized, it is expected to be spotlighted as a new battery model for the smart band and implantable electronic device markets. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced on the 31st the research results of Dr. Song Jeong-gon’s team at the Photovoltaic Hybrid Research Center.

The research team developed a stretchable lithium-ion battery by fabricating an electrode structure in the shape of a honeycomb bent inward. The team created the honeycomb framework by compositing atomic-thickness graphene and nanoscale carbon nanotubes, which are like tiny strings. Through a process of rolling and compressing this structure, they realized a stretchable framework that can be extended or contracted like an accordion. They also assembled a stretchable gel electrolyte and packaging materials to develop a lithium-ion battery that can be stretched and contracted like an accordion.

This battery secures over 50% stretchability in all parts. It also maintained performance after more than 500 repeated stretches. It also has a storage capacity similar to existing batteries (5.05 mAh/cm2).

Dr. Son Jeong-gon of KIST stated, "The stretchable lithium-ion battery developed through this research is expected to present a new paradigm as an energy storage system with stretchability in the recent development of wearable and body-attached devices."

The research results were published in the latest issue of 'ACS Nano,' an international scientific journal specializing in nanotechnology.

A schematic diagram of the process for fabricating a stretchable battery: first, a graphene honeycomb structure is created by passing graphene solution through an ice pillar; then, a stretchable battery electrode structure bent inward is produced through an omnidirectional compression process resembling rolling kimbap; finally, a stretchable battery is assembled using a stretchable gel electrolyte and stretchable packaging.