A team of researchers at Purdue University is developing a way to mass-produce a new type of nanomaterial for advanced batteries and sensors. This material shows the potential as a sensor for detecting glucose in saliva or tears and for “supercapacitors” that could make fast-charging, high-performance batteries.
The challenge to commercializing this material is to find a way to mass-produce it at a low cost. Funded by the National Science Foundation, a $1.5 million grant was awarded to the researchers and will focus on creating a nanomanufacturing method that is capable mass production at a low cost. The team’s goal is to boost production speed of nanopetal-coated surfaces to 10 square meters per hour, a dramatic increase over the laboratory-scale production rate.