image: Schematic of structures of the electric eel's electrocytes and the moisture-enabled power source. view more
Credit: Image credit: Di Wei.
Researchers report a portable power source printed on flexible paper with graphene inks that is inspired by electric eels. Printed energy storage devices can provide power to wearable devices. Lu Yang and colleagues used electric eels, which rely on sodium and potassium ion gradients to generate current, for inspiration in developing alternatives to hazardous components in batteries. The authors developed two inks from graphene oxide, a permeable material with enhanced conductivity of positively charged ions. The two inks differed in their concentrations of potassium cations. Silver electrodes were also printed onto the paper. When moisture was introduced, reduction and oxidation of the silver produced a current, and potassium ions moved within the 2D nanofluidics in graphene oxide, generating 1.2 volts per cell. The silver electrodes also served to transform the ion migration into electric current. When the authors printed 175 of these cells in series, they generated 192 volts of electricity. In the absence of moisture, such as in a vacuum bag, the voltage was zero. Using this approach, the authors created a 3D cell. According to the authors, the performance of the power source is similar to lithium thin-film batteries and could aid the development of wearable electronics.
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Article #20-23164:
"A moisture-enabled fully printable power source inspired by electric eels," by Lu Yang et al.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Di Wei,
Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing, CHINA;
email: <diwei@hotmail.com>