Researchers at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia have developed the world’s first edible battery, fueled entirely by food ingredients. The anode is made from riboflavin (vitamin B2), found in almonds, while the cathode uses quercetin, a food supplement present in capers. Activated charcoal, a widespread over-the-counter medication, is added to increase electrical conductivity. The electrolyte in the battery is water-based, and the separator, which prevents short circuits, is made from nori seaweed, commonly found in sushi. The research group, led by Mario Caironi, has published their findings in the journal Advanced Materials.
To create a fully edible and safe battery, the electrodes are encapsulated in beeswax, and two contacts made from food-grade gold foil are used on a cellulose-derived support. The resulting battery cell is designed to operate at 0.65 V, a voltage low enough not to cause problems in the human body when ingested. It can provide a current of 48 μA for 12 minutes or a few microamps for over an hour, which is enough to supply power to small electronic devices, such as low-power LEDs, for a limited time.
Future applications of edible electronics
As a result of their groundbreaking research, the IIT team has opened up a world of possibilities for the uses of edible electronics. One potential application is in health diagnostics, where edible circuits and sensors could monitor conditions in the human body. Also the batteries could be used to power sensors for monitoring food storage conditions, ensuring food quality and safety.
Given the level of safety of these batteries, they could also be used in children’s toys, where there is a high risk of ingestion. In addition, the team is already working on developing devices with greater capacity and reducing the overall size. These developments will be tested in the future and the team is even thing about powering edible soft robots.
Inspiring safer and more sustainable batteries
Co-author of the study, Ivan Ilic, believes that the development of this edible battery has significant implications for the energy storage community. Building safer batteries without the use of toxic materials is a challenge faced by the scientific community as battery demand surges. Although the edible batteries developed by the IIT team will not power electric cars, they serve as proof that batteries can be made from safer materials than current Li-ion batteries.
Ilic hopes that this research will inspire other scientists to build safer batteries for a truly sustainable future.
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