IMAGINE your traditional Filipino clothing powering a small electronic device. This is what UST researchers are developing as they convert native textiles such as abaca, piña, water hyacinth, and banana fibers into materials for energy storage.
According to Prof. Christina Binag of the UST Department of Chemistry, these fabric-based supercapacitors are layered with conducting polymers or special plastics capable of carrying electric current, and biochar, a charcoal-like substance derived from rice husks and straw.
The coatings provide the fabrics three vital traits of an efficient energy device: electrical conductivity, a broad surface to store energy, and microscopic pores where charges can settle.
“Naniniwala ang DOST (Department of Science and Technology) na makatutulong ‘yong aming produkto o ‘yong prototypes namin sa pag-advance ng energy research sa Pilipinas,” Binag told the Varsitarian.
“Aside from water, energy ang isa sa pinaka-mahirap ma-solusyunan, because we know that ‘yong fossil fuels natin ay [finite], so, we have to think of alternative sources of energy.”
In the early stages, work was largely trial and error. The team’s first design, a pouch made from aluminum, leaked fluid like a juice pack. The second prototype, a rigid acrylic sandwich, proved stronger but impractically bulky.
A turning point came when the researchers shifted to coin cell-sized models — tiny discs the size of a peso coin. Individually, these coin cells carry little, but when stacked together in a series, their overall capacity rises substantially, much like piling up coins.
Binag likened batteries to a large water tank that can hold plenty of energy but takes time to fill and drain. Supercapacitors, she explained, act like a small glass: quick to fill, instant to pour out, and capable of millions of refills.
“The supercapacitor is not there to replace the battery, [but they are] complementary,” she said. “They have to work together. They have to complement each other.”
The project has support from the DOST’s Philippine Textile Research Institute, which supplied the woven indigenous fabrics, and is funded by the Center for Advanced Materials for Clean Energy Technologies (Camcet), a DOST-backed research hub led by UST and partner universities that develops clean energy technologies using indigenous materials.
Although not yet powerful enough to operate laptops or smartphones, the devices excel in smaller but vital functions, such as sensors for monitoring temperature and humidity in storage warehouses, Binag said.
These sensors could alert farmers if rice or corn in stock begins to face mold risk, helping minimize spoilage.
“It could monitor regularly ‘yong temperature at relative humidity ng mga imbakan ng mga produce like legumes, rice, corn,” Binag said.
She described the initiative as cyclical: farmers provide the raw fibers, scientists turn them into energy devices, and these devices, in turn, safeguard the farmers’ produce.
She expressed hope that, with continued backing from DOST and Camcet, fabric supercapacitors will one day be available to ordinary Filipinos — perhaps powering health-monitoring patches or renewable energy-based farm tools.
Binag’s contributions have earned national recognition. In 2024, she was honored with the Gregorio Y. Zara Award in Applied Science Research during the 73rd annual convention of the Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology (PhilAAST).
This year, she was elected to serve on the PhilAAST board for a two-year term.
PhilAAST is a non-profit institution dedicated to advancing science and research throughout the Philippines.
