Cyanobacteria can power small electronic devices

Researchers inked a type of 'biological ink' from cyanobacteria onto a conductive surface to form a biophotovoltaic cell.

Unlike conventional batteries, batteries made from electricity can generate electricity in both darkness and light, so they are expected to become an environmentally friendly power source for devices with low power consumption. Biological sensors, and can even print into a bio-energy wallpaper.

Scientists at the Royal College of London and Cambridge University have published research on bioelectric photovoltaic batteries in Nature Communications.

Overall, bioelectric photovoltaic batteries include many types of cyanobacteria or photosynthetic algae that convert light into energy. However, in the dark, these creatures are still able to continue to generate energy by converting available reserves within them. So when they connect these organisms to an abiotic electrode, they can act as a 'bio-solar battery' when absorbing light or 'solar bio-batteries' in the dark.

Bio-energy wallpaper made from blue algae.

'Our bioelectric photovoltaic device can be biodegradable and may in the future be a disposable solar cell that can decompose in compost tanks or in our gardens', co-author Marin Sawa at London University of Arts and Royal College London told Phys.org. "Cheap, accessible, environmentally friendly, biodegradable batteries - no heavy metals or plastics. This is what we and the environment need".

The biggest challenge today for bioelectric photovoltaic batteries is to produce them on a large scale. Typically, organisms are deposited on an electrode surface in a large liquid reservoir. In the new study, the researchers describe inkjet techniques that can be used to print both the conductive surface of carbon nanotubes and the upper layer of cyanobacteria but still keep these organisms alive. This approach not only makes the battery faster, but also makes it faster and allows for more accurate battery design.

With these advantages, bioelectric photovoltaic batteries can produce up to three to four times the energy of batteries made using the old method. To illustrate, the researchers pointed out that nine new-style batteries can power electronic clocks and make flash light LEDs. This battery can generate energy continuously for 100 consecutive hours both in the morning and evening.

In the future, researchers plan to develop thin film solar panels (thin-film biophotovoltaic - BPV) or integrated power supply in medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring - both used for bio-disposable and environmentally friendly sensors. Another potential application is bio-energy wallpaper. Sawa said: 'This kind of solar wallpaper will turn the interior surface into an energy collector to deliver low-energy devices like LEDs, biosensors - that can be used to monitor quality. indoor air ".

The researchers also hope to improve the battery's electrical performance in many ways, such as improving the electrical conductivity of circuits, optimizing battery design, and using higher resilient organisms.