Engineers from the Italian Institute of Technology have developed a completely edible and rechargeable
Used as an anode in a batteryriboflavin (vitamin B2 found, for example, in almonds), and as a cathode, quercetin (a flavonoid that is common in many foods, including capers, buckwheat, onions, and apples). Engineers used an aqueous electrolyte and activated carbon to increase electrical conductivity.
A separator required in every battery toto avoid short circuits, was made from nori seaweed, which is used, for example, to make sushi. The finished electrodes were encapsulated in beeswax, from which two edible gold contacts emerge on a cellulose substrate.
The battery operates at a voltage of 0.65 V,voltage low enough not to cause problems in the human body if ingested. It can provide 48µA for 12 minutes or a few microamps for over an hour, enough to power small electronic devices such as low power LEDs for a limited time.
Future potential applicationsrange from food chains and sensors that can monitor health conditions to edible sensors that monitor food storage conditions. Moreover, given the safety level of these batteries, they can be used in children's toys where there is a high risk of ingestion.
Ivan Ilic, study co-author
Engineers are working to create a device withmore power and smaller dimensions. They are unlikely to ever be powerful enough to power electric vehicles, but may one day replace toxic lithium-ion batteries in simple devices.
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Cover image: IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia