Made with seaweed, almonds, water and gold: from IIT, the world’s first edible battery
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Not to nibble on in front of the TV as if they were popcorn or to use them as a snack instead of potato chips, but so that nothing serious happens if one is ingested. Or in case one has to be ingested.
Let’s talk about edible (and rechargeable, too) batteries, whose first prototype in the world was unveiled by the Printed and Molecular Electronics Laboratory of the Italian Institute of Technology, which is based in Milan and is led by professor Mario Caironi.
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by our correspondent Emanuele Capone
How to make a battery you can eat
As explained, the research group coordinated by Caironi developed this battery starting from ingredients of gastronomy international: riboflavin (vitamin B2, in short) acts as an anode, while the quercetin of almonds and capers acts as a cathode.
To increase the electrical conductivity was used the Activated carbon which is easily found in pharmacies, while the electrolyte is water-based. The separator, necessary to avoid short circuits, is made with nori seaweed (yes, the ones used for sushi) and the electrodes are encapsulated in beeswax from which two contacts of edible goldthe same film used by pastry chefs for decorations.
The battery cell runs at 0.65Va voltage that would be “low enough not to harm the human body if ingested”: it can deliver current of 48 microamperes for 12 minutes or lower for more than an hour, enough to power small electronic devicessuch as low-power LEDs.
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What is the use of an edible battery
Having understood that it can be done, it remains to understand why it should be done: what could an edible battery be used for? Reminding us that the idea is not to have something to want to eat but to have something to eat if necessary, the uses are many.
First of all, in the diagnostic tools of the health of our body, such as sensors or probes to be ingested (for the diagnosis and treatment of many disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, for example) and then not having to worry anymore. But that’s not all: “The potential future uses also include circuits capable of monitoring the state of conservation of food – explained Caironi – Furthermore, these technologies could also be used in toys for younger childrenwhere the risk of ingestion is high”. Also because “we are already developing devices with greater capacity and smaller dimensions”.
Finally, these batteries could be used to run the edible robotswhich should intentionally help us (for example) in the exploration of Space and become a form of emergency sustenance, and also to reduce or make our e-waste“They may not power electric cars, but they are proof that making power sources out of safer materials than lithium-ion is possible,” he said. Ivan Ilic, co-author of the project We believe they will inspire other scientists to build safer batteries for a truly sustainable future.”
@capoema
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