This is an article out of Rice University about a new supercapacitor that they’ve developed there. Chemists used carbon nanotubes doped with sulfuric acid and they coated them with thin coats of aluminum oxide and aluminum-doped zinc oxide using a process called Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). According to the lead author of the paper this gives you a “metal/insulator/metal structure” which forms the capacitor. The most promising part of the research is that these capacitors combine the best qualities of high-energy batteries and fast-charging capacitors in a device suitable for extreme environments. As well these capacitors can be integrated into different shapes such as a car body which forms the structure of the car and provides it with power.

This sounds like an exciting development for the future of everything that needs power. Lightweight electronics with batteries built into their shell casing is an interesting thought and could allow everything we have right now to be a whole lot smaller.

http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=16060&SnID=1481274582