Paper Pins generate electricity by sewage bacteria

US scientists have successfully created a bio-cell that generates electricity from bacteria in waste water.

Researchers at the University of Binghamton, USA, have created a disposable type of disposable paper battery that can generate electricity by activating bacteria on a piece of paper. This technology will reduce the cost and time required to manufacture the battery and revolutionize the use of bio-based batteries as a source of energy in remote areas, with limited or limited resources. December 21 reported.

Recent disposable paper batteries have emerged as a simple, low-cost way to power the on-site rapid diagnostic tests , " said Seokheun Sean Choi, an engineer at Binghamton University. know.

New paper batteries generate electricity by using microbes in waste water. Photo: Seokheun.

On half a sheet of paper, Choi and associate Yang Gao placed a silver nitride (AgNO ₃ ) ribbon under the thin wax to make the cathode. In the other half of the piece of paper, they create a small container made of conductive polymer that acts as an anode when filled with a few drops of bacterial waste water. When the team folded the piece of paper so that the cathode and the anode contacted each other, the battery generated electricity through the metabolism of bacteria, also known as cellular respiration.

"This type of battery requires a lot of components, such as cathode, anode and proton exchange membrane (PEM), so that the batteries are assembled manually, so there may be some potential problems such as deviation and discontinuity." between layers of paper, thereby reducing the amount of electricity generated, " Choi said.

The team used folding and stacking methods to improve the output power of the battery. They can generate batteries with a current of 31.51 microwat (μW) and 125.53 microampe (μA) with 6 pin configurations arranged in three parallel strips. The power and current generated are 44.85 μW, 105.89 μA with 6x6 pin configuration.

It takes millions of batteries to light a conventional 40 watt bulb, but on the battlefield or a catastrophic situation, usability and mobility are paramount. In addition, paper batteries provide enough energy to run biological sensors that monitor glucose levels in patients with diabetes, detect pathogens in the body or perform other medical functions.