Sugar powered batteries coming soon

Will be able to charge anything from mobile phones to digital cameras

26 March 2007 16:51 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Gadget lovers could be turning to sugary drinks to power their gadget in the future following new research from St Louis University in Missouri.

Scientists say these sweet new batteries could operate three to four times longer than the conventional lithium ion batteries commonly used in everything from your iPod to digital camera.

Researcher Shelley Minteer, an electrochemist at Saint Louis University in Missouri and her colleagues have developed a small prototype battery about the size of a postage stamp to successfully run a handheld calculator

A commercial version of the fuel cell could be ready for commercialization in 3 to 5 years.

"By bridging biology and chemistry, we can build a better battery that's also cleaner for the environment", Minteer said in a statement.

Minteer and her colleagues have adapted enzymes from nature that can strip charges from sugar to generate electricity in fuel cells.

All the materials used to build the sugary device are biodegradable.

Full tags

Gadgets, Batteries