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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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Imagine a Jacket That Charges Your Phone: Scientists Create a Solar Fabric That Stores Its Own Energy

As technology continues to advance, the demand for efficient, compact, and sustainable energy solutions is increasing rapidly. From smart watches and fitness trackers to electric vehicles and wearable electronics, modern devices require reliable sources of power. However, current energy systems often depend on separate components for energy generation and storage, creating challenges in terms of size, weight, and flexibility.

A new generation of energy technology is emerging with the development of energy harvesting and storing ribbons—innovative devices capable of collecting solar energy and storing it within the same structure. These flexible ribbons could transform the way we power portable electronics, wearable devices, vehicles, and even future smart textiles.

The Challenge of Traditional Solar Energy Systems

Today, most portable electronic devices rely on rechargeable batteries for energy storage, even when they are used in environments with abundant sunlight. In conventional solar-powered systems, two separate devices are required: one solar cell to capture sunlight and another battery or storage unit to save the generated energy.

Although this approach works well for large-scale applications, it creates major limitations for small and flexible devices. The need for separate energy harvesting and storage components increases the size, weight, and complexity of the system. These limitations are especially problematic for wearable technologies, where comfort, flexibility, and lightweight design are essential.

For example, cars parked under direct sunlight receive a huge amount of solar energy, but traditional vehicles cannot easily utilize this energy because solar panels and storage systems are separate. Similarly, wearable electronics embedded into jackets or fabrics could benefit greatly from a lightweight energy system that can directly collect and store solar power.

A single device capable of performing both functions would provide a more practical solution for future self-powered technologies.

Introducing the Energy Harvesting and Storing (ENHANS) Ribbon

To address this challenge, researchers led by Chao Li developed an innovative all-solid-state Energy Harvesting and Storing (ENHANS) ribbon. This advanced device combines a flexible solar cell and an energy storage system into one compact structure.

The ENHANS ribbon integrates a perovskite solar cell (PSC) with a symmetric supercapacitor (SSC) using a copper (Cu) ribbon as a shared electrode. This unique design allows the solar cell to collect sunlight while the same electrode transfers the generated electrical energy directly into the storage unit.

Unlike conventional systems that require separate connections between solar panels and batteries, this ribbon creates a direct pathway for energy transfer. This makes the device smaller, lighter, and more suitable for flexible applications.

How the Technology Works

The main innovation behind the ENHANS ribbon is the use of a copper ribbon that performs multiple roles. It acts as an electron-collecting electrode for the solar cell and also provides the foundation for creating copper hydroxide nanotubes (CuOHNT), which are important components of the supercapacitor.

Researchers developed a flexible, thin-film perovskite solar cell using a solvent-assisted growth method. This solar cell achieved more than 10% energy conversion efficiency, showing strong potential for practical applications.

The solar cell design also protects the sensitive perovskite material from environmental damage. By placing the perovskite layer inside a sandwich-like structure, the device gains improved stability against exposure to air and moisture.

On the opposite side of the copper ribbon, scientists created a supercapacitor using copper hydroxide nanotubes combined with a gel electrolyte made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and potassium hydroxide (KOH). This storage system captures and stores the electricity produced by the solar cell.

Because the solar cell and supercapacitor share the same electrode, energy can move directly from the solar harvesting layer into the storage unit without requiring additional components.

High Performance in a Flexible Design

The ENHANS ribbon demonstrates impressive energy storage capabilities while maintaining flexibility. When exposed to simulated sunlight, the device achieved an energy density of 1.15 mWh cm⁻³ and a power density of 243 mW cm⁻³.

These performance levels make the technology suitable for applications that require lightweight and portable power sources. Unlike traditional batteries, supercapacitors can charge and discharge energy quickly, making them useful for devices that require frequent power cycles or intermittent operation.

The flexibility of the ribbon is another major advantage. Researchers successfully transformed the ribbons into a textile-like structure by weaving them together. This ability opens new possibilities for creating energy-generating fabrics, smart clothing, and portable electronic systems.

A New Era for Wearable Electronics

One of the most exciting applications of ENHANS ribbons is in wearable technology. Imagine a jacket made from energy-harvesting fabric that collects sunlight during the day and stores electricity to power smart watches, health monitors, communication devices, or other low-energy electronics.

Unlike traditional wearable systems that require bulky batteries, these solar ribbons could become part of the fabric itself. This would allow users to carry lightweight, self-sufficient electronic devices without worrying about frequent charging.

The technology could also support other portable applications, including drones, remote sensors, and electric transportation systems.

Future Possibilities Beyond Supercapacitors

Although the current ENHANS ribbon uses supercapacitors for energy storage, researchers believe the same approach could be applied to other storage technologies. For example, integrating thin-film lithium-ion batteries with solar cells could significantly increase energy storage capacity.

Lithium-ion batteries offer higher energy density compared with supercapacitors. By combining solar cell ribbons with lithium-ion battery ribbons, scientists could potentially create energy systems that provide both high power output and long-lasting energy storage.

Future designs could involve weaving different types of energy ribbons together to create advanced energy fabrics with improved performance.

Transforming the Future of Energy Technology

The development of ENHANS ribbons represents an important step toward flexible, self-powered energy systems. By combining energy generation and storage into a single device, this technology overcomes many limitations of traditional solar power solutions.

From smart clothing and wearable electronics to electric vehicles and autonomous systems, these flexible energy ribbons could help create a future where everyday objects generate and store their own power.

As renewable energy becomes increasingly important, innovations like ENHANS provide a glimpse of a world where clean energy is not only produced by large solar farms but also integrated directly into the devices and materials around us. The future of energy may not just be about bigger power stations—it may be woven into the very fabric of our lives.

Reference: Li, C., Islam, M., Moore, J. et al. Wearable energy-smart ribbons for synchronous energy harvest and storage. Nat Commun 7, 13319 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13319

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