Bio Batteries - I

Bio Batteries - I
Published on

We use a host of electronic devices on a daily basis to make our lives simpler; however, little do we know about what powers them. The basic job of a battery is to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. A regular battery contains compounds such as lead and mercury which are highly toxic in nature. These batteries are also prone to explosions and leakages.

Bio-batteries differ from regular chemical batteries in a way that they use mostly organic substrates instead of toxic chemicals. These may include enzymes, microorganisms, cellulose or even body fluids that power the battery. In a bio-battery the anode and cathode, just like in regular batteries, are negatively and positively charged respectively. In between the anode and cathode exists a separator that prevents the two from mixing with one another. Glucose is used in the anode tube that gets broken down into electrons and protons in the same way as in human bodies. Protons then flow to the cathode tube via the seperator and electrons flow to the cathode tube via a mediator. Enzymes are used in the cathode side which uses protons and electrons coming from anode to generate electric energy. This is quickly becoming the future of several mechanical services.

logo
Chinmaya Udghosh
www.chinmayaudghosh.in