T-shirt charging phone

Researchers at the University of South Carolina have found a way to use cheap T-shirts to store electricity.

Xiaodong Li, a professor of mechanical engineering, collaborated with fellow researcher Lihong Bao to find the solution.

According to a report in Advanced Materials, the duo used an old t-shirt bought from a discount store in the area, then dipped it in a fluoride solution, then dried and steamed in a non-oxygenated environment in the heat. height.

Two experts are handling the fabric in the lab

The fibers of the fabric move from cellulose to activated carbon during processing, but the material retains the same flexibility as conventional fabrics.

Using small pieces of fabric as an electrode, the researchers demonstrated that the material could act as a capacitor.

Capacitors have the role of storing electrical energy, and are essential parts of most electronic devices on the market today.

By coating each fiber-embedded fabric with manganese oxide, the conductivity of the fabric is further strengthened.

"This creates a stable, high-performance supercapacitor , " says Li.

These supercapacitors have proven durability, even after thousands of rounds of charge and discharge, their efficiency has dropped to less than 5%.

This initiative could pave the way for next-generation mobile phone chargers and other mobile devices, fueling the need for 'flexible energy storage' in the future.