Crustaceans make conductive gel in zinc-ion batteries more environmentally-friendly.
And now a Toronto-based university research team has likewise found inspiration in nature while developing sustainable electrodes.
During batteries’ charge and discharge cycles, ions move from a conductive layer (conglutinated with the energy-saving base material of the electrodes – zinc) back and forth between cathode and anode.
Instead of forever chemicals like PFAS, the team used mussel molecules as a binder. Gallol molecules perform particularly well as adhesives.
The new zinc-ion batteries containing an aqueous electrolyte lasted longer than batteries with fluorinated binding agents: after 8,000 charge cycles, energy efficiency was still 52% higher.
Mussel molecules can also be used in adhesive patches while zinc makes circuit boards more sustainable.
