Scientists around the world are always looking for alternative efficient energy sources which are cost-effective and environmentally friendly. In their search for unique energy sources, scientists have also given thought to the idea of blood-powered batteries. Sounds strange? Here’s the science behind the idea:
Won Hee Ryu, a Conservancy NatureNet Science Fellow,had an idea that there must be something in the blood chemistry, which can be utilized to increase efficiency of a lithium-oxygen battery. He specifically targeted the way oxygen reacts inside the lithium-oxygen battery, and his curiosity grew as he thought about the possibilities of his hypothesis.
In 2014, he, along with his colleagues, published his findings on the question in the Nature Communications Journals. The researchers discovered that the heme molecule, which constitutes the hemoglobin, highly improves the efficiency of the lithium-oxygen battery.
Finnrich/Pixabay. Scientists are always looking for better, efficient and sustainable energy resources.
Why Do These Findings Matter?
The discovery of the blood’s role in improving battery efficiency was a great breakthrough, because one of the biggest obstacles in a lithium-oxygen battery is its charging and recharging capabilities. This is why the energy industry prefers lithium-ion batteries over its oxygen counterpart. The lithium-oxygen batteries are considered as a next-generation energy source for the industry, which can result in high efficiency in computers, cars and even homes. They can possibly store up to ten times more energy by weight than the current lithium-ion batteries.
In translation, your phones and computers could possibly run for days and even weeks instead of a few hours without being charged, and electric cars could exceed the range of gasoline-powered cars. But the lithium-oxygen batteries must overcome several fundamental challenges for them to become completely usable in the energy industry.
ckstockphoto/Pixabay Scientists discovered that lithium-ion batteries deplete quicker than lithium-oxygen batteries, due to complex chemical reactions.
It Almost Always Boils Down To The Chemistry
The lithium-ion battery came into being as a result of a number of complex chemical reactions which go on in the background, to give us the energy to run our appliances, phones, and devices. The issue with these batteries is the creation of by-products such as lithium peroxide that can build up and bury the electrodes in them, hindering the battery’s charging capabilities.
qimono/Pixabay. Heme, a component found in blood, can increase battery efficiency manifold.
Coming back to the heme molecule found in the blood and how it can increase battery efficiency, it has been observed that heme, found in hemoglobin, is a better catalyst, as it binds well with oxygen. This binding can prevent excessive build-up, thereby decreasing the need for recharging.
Research into highly efficient energy sources is an ongoing quest, and scientists are striving to reach sustainable energy sources which are cheaper to build and consume in the times to come.