At MIT, a safe biodegradable paper battery for «edible» electronics was created

The development was presented by engineers and chemists from the U.S. led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) associate professor Giovanni Traverso. According to the authors, the device is needed for drug delivery, electrical stimulation of stomach tissues, and the study of processes in the digestive tract.

The battery consists of a wax shell, layers of magnesium and molybdenum trioxide, as well as a human-safe gel electrolyte and a paper cathode. The researchers write that this design should replace lithium and alkaline batteries, which in previous experiments damaged the intestinal walls and could release dangerous particles or toxic substances.

The power source is capable of generating 1.8 volts for three days and supplying energy to microchips, portable antennas, and other electronic components. The battery’s operation was tested in experiments on pigs, where they placed a capsule for “smart” drug delivery, an electronic tag transmitting a signal over a distance of 1.5 m, and an electrical stimulator that made the stomach produce ghrelin.

In all three cases, the device handled the tasks and did not cause dangerous side effects for the stomach or the animals’ bodies as a whole. The results were published in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering, and the technology itself is considered by the authors to be the basis for “edible” and implantable biosensors; in their view, such batteries may also be useful in environmental, zoological, and other studies involving humans and animals.

Sources

• TASS