Scientists and researchers from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a nanoengineered battery that is physically identical to paper. Ultra thin and flexible, this could very well be the future of energy storage devices.

The creation of this product was pure genius. Paper was combined with aligned carbon nanotubes which act as electrodes and permit it to conduct electricity. Ann and John H. Broadbent Senior Constellation Professor of Biocatalysis and Metabolic Engineering at Rensselaer Robert Linhardt noted that:

It’s essentially a regular piece of paper, but it’s made in a very intelligent way. We’re not putting pieces together – it’s a single, integrated device.

The components are molecularly attached to each other: the carbon nanotube print is embedded in the paper, and the electrolyte is soaked into the paper. The end result is a device that looks, feels, and weighs the same as paper.