Battery powered toilet paper discovered!

[Knoxville]

Ok, so the thread title was misleading, but to be fair the truth behind that lie is more than worthy of its own thread....

US researchers say they have invented a lightweight paper battery that could serve as an enhanced power storage device for the next generation of consumer electronic devices. The battery produces electricity in the same way as the conventional lithium-ion batteries that power so many of today’s gadgets, but all the components have been incorporated into a lightweight, flexible sheet of paper. An early prototype of the device, just big enough to be held between thumb and forefinger, kicks out 2.5 volts, enough juice to power a small fan, or illuminate a light, and its inventors say the battery can be easily scaled up to provide enough power to run any number of electronic gadgets.

“You can stack one sheet on top of another to boost the power output,” said Robert Linhardt, a biology and chemistry professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, and a project team member. “We’ve already experimented with 10 sheets, but there’s nothing to stop you using 500, and they can be rolled, bent or folded into any shape or space you like. There are endless design possibilities.” The device can function in temperatures of 300 degrees Fahrenheit and down to 100 below zero, and was engineered to function as both a battery and a supercapacitor, a device that charges almost instantaneously and is often used for industrial applications.

[Dareos]

can see this being incorporated into clothing soon, to power MP3 players etc

[Funkstar]

In clothing? I wouldn't like to see what happens when you wash it though.

A few questions, mainly rhetorical, but if soeone wants to go on the hunt for the answers that would save me doing it
I wonder how the power density compares to LiIon and LiPol batteries?
Are these more environmentally friendly to produce?
How does the power to weight ratio compare to current tech?

[Stringent]

Imagine, Andrex puppies with Duracell inside ...

[Brucelles]

Hmm! I wonder how long it would take before someone rolled a spliff in one.

[Bunjiweb]

I can see huge potential usage for this.... It brings "interactive newspapers" and other such Minority Report-esque gadgets further into the real world!

Can't wait to see it start being put to good use.

Ben