The IIT team has created a totally edible and rechargeable battery, which could be used in health diagnostics, food quality monitoring and edible soft robotics.
Edible electronics is an emergin field that could have a great impact on the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal tract diseases, as well as on food quality monitoring. One of the field's largest challenges is the development of edible power sources.
The IIT research group took inspiration from the biochemical redox reactions that happen in the body. They developed a battery that utilises riboflavin (vitamin B2) as an anode and quercetin (a food supplement and ingredient) as a cathode.
The researchers used a water-based electrolyte and leveraged activated charcoal to increase electrical conductivity The separator, needed in every battery to avoid short circuits, is made from nori seaweed, the kind found in sushi, while the electrodes are encapsulated in beeswax.
The result was the...