A team of researchers at Binghamton University, part of the State University of New York system, have developed a tiny battery that can use bacteria to fuel itself, potentially for up to a century. The team’s work is described in a recent article published in Small, a journal covering topics related to nanotechnology.
The battery is inspired by work previously conducted by the research team regarding an ingestible battery, where the team was able to create a biobattery that could be ingested and power itself using bacteria in the body. Now, the team have taken their concept one step further by developing a biobattery that could function outside the body. Specifically, the team designed the new version of the battery to use bacteria that create spores.
Roughly the shape of a dime, the battery/power source is powered when moisture in the air comes into contact with bacteria and certain chemicals that promote spore production among the bacteria. It’s the energy from the production of spores that researchers were able to capture and harness in the battery. In fact, the team was able to generate enough power from their dime-shaped battery to power a small clock. Using heat to activate the battery increased how quickly the battery reached a full power capacity, and an increase in available moisture increased how much electricity the battery produced.
However, the team still had to overcome a significant problem with their design: how to ensure that this reaction only occurs when needed to produce energy. To overcome this challenge, researchers contained the battery within Kapton tape, which has been shown to stand up in extreme fluctuations in temperature. Contained in the tape, researchers were able to ensure that the battery was portable and had a long shelf life. By keeping out excess heat and moisture, the battery was prevented from activating. The team highlights that there could be a range of uses for the battery, from both military to civilian uses.
For the new battery to be a viable alternative to other battery sources however, the team must first find a way to improve the battery’s charge time and how much power it can produce.
Sources: EurekAlert!; Small