Organic, metal
One of the problems with our ongoing shift toward renewable energy relates to the way we store it, with today's metal-laden lithium batteries currently serving us well but carrying sustainability issues of their own. Scientists are investigating alternative, more eco-friendly chemistries, and a team at Texas A&M University has just put forward an interesting candidate, demonstrating a metal-free battery that can be placed in acidic solutions to degrade on demand.
The increasing demand for electronic devices and electric vehicles means an increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries, which rely on heavy metals that aren't so easily sourced. Cobalt, for example, is plagued with ethical issues around mining practices involving child labor in Africa, as well as environmental degradation and the pollution of water supplies. Furthermore, it is difficult to separate and recover these materials at the end of the battery's life.
“The big problem with lithium-ion batteries right now is that they're not recycled to the degree that we are going to need for the future electrified transportation economy,” says Dr. Jodie Lutkenhaus, study author. “The rate of recycling lithium-ion batteries right now is in the single digits. There is valuable material in the lithium-ion battery, but it's very difficult and energy intensive to recover.”
These problems have driven researchers like Lutkenhaus to investigate metal-free battery architectures, with a saltwater prototype battery developed by IBM one notable example. The Texas A&M University scientists instead used electrochemically active chains of amino acids, called redox active polypeptides, to build the battery's two electrodes, which pass energy back and forth as the device is charged and discharged.
In testing, the organic battery ticked a couple of important boxes. First and foremost, these electrodes performed their role as active materials during operation, remaining stable throughout. And afterwards, the components were able to be degraded by subjecting them to acidic conditions, which left amino acids and other benign degradation products as a result, to be re-used or left to dissolve harmlessly in the environment.
“By moving away from lithium and working with these polypeptides, which are components of proteins, it really takes us into this realm of not only avoiding the need for mining precious metals, but opening opportunities to power wearable or implantable electronic devices and also to easily recycle the new batteries,” says study author Dr. Karen Wooley. “They [polypeptide batteries] are degradable, they are recyclable, they are non-toxic and they are safer across the board.”
While early days for the research, the scientists see it as a promising first step in the development of sustainable batteries, and they're now looking to improve the design further with the help of machine learning.
The research was published in the journal Nature.
Source: Texas A&M University
-
N. Korea test快来看看,今年在商标品牌建设上,我们都做了些啥?爱心•暖心•仁心 连滩镇驻镇帮扶心心为民Scotland heroes can become 'legends' back in the big timeEssential Apps to Install on your Windows PC or MacCroatia look for another turn from mastermind ModricA Democrat just won Wisconsin state Senate special election in a district Trump won by 17 points.Croatia look for another turn from mastermind ModricKamala Harris’ ridiculous problem with the political press.City's Al Mubarak vows to 'push envelope' after SL 'mistake'
- ·US to oppose North Korean worker dispatch to occupied Ukrainian territory: State Dept.
- ·It’s increasingly looking like China was behind the massive Marriott data hack
- ·If you consider Hot Cheetos a vegetable, this is the meme for you
- ·抓好消防基础建设 加大安全隐患排查
- ·9 Festive Holiday Treats and Where to Find Them
- ·抓好消防基础建设 加大安全隐患排查
- ·Twitter releases 2018 Transparency Report including policy violation stats for the first time
- ·广西贺州:全力东融连湾区,产业发展启新篇
- ·Tesla considers adding a new ‘stuck detection' feature to Cybertruck. Here’s why.
- ·快来看看,今年在商标品牌建设上,我们都做了些啥?
- ·广西贺州:全力东融连湾区,产业发展启新篇
- ·深入推进商事制度改革 持续释放市场活力
- ·Yoon, US Senate's armed service committee chief discuss alliance, N.K. threats
- ·US sees slimmer chance of diplomatically ending North Korean nuclear program
- ·Samsung's new smartphone doesn't have a headphone jack
- ·North Korea threatens to end freeze in long
- ·广东超一半的北运淡水鱼来自这里!全链发力打响“南海鱼”金字招牌
- ·Moon's approval rating falls to five
- ·深刻学习领会十九大精神 以目标为导向优先发展教育事业
- ·North Korea says it's gained nothing from US but `betrayal'
- ·Who is the Dark Wizard in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2?
- ·深入推进商事制度改革 持续释放市场活力
- ·Transcript of Slow Burn: Season 1, Episode 7.
- ·City's Al Mubarak vows to 'push envelope' after SL 'mistake'
- ·[From the Scene] How ‘world’s first oil town’ is wrestling to become ‘green'
- ·Scotland heroes can become 'legends' back in the big time
- ·NYT Strands hints, answers for August 29
- ·iOS 12.1.1 expands eSIM support on the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max
- ·丝苗米网红打卡点来了!跟着十大休闲路线玩转“双节”吧
- ·雅康高速生态环境问题综合整治项目有序推进
- ·Game Plan
- ·深刻学习领会十九大精神 以目标为导向优先发展教育事业
- ·US sees slimmer chance of diplomatically ending North Korean nuclear program
- ·North Korea says it's gained nothing from US but `betrayal'
- ·Value Judgment
- ·Alarm for England as Alexander