Energy sources in our laptops, Apple iPods, cell phones and other mobile electronic devices can have a sweet future: rechargeable batteries that run on sugar. Researchers at Saint Louis University in Missouri are testing batteries that run on sugar and have the potential to last up to four times longer than lithium ion batteries, according to PhysOrg.com.
Electrochemistry Shelley Minteer, Ph.D., directs the project and noted that, besides running on virtually any sugar source, batteries are also biodegradable. "It demonstrates that by bridging biology and chemistry, we can build a better battery is also cleaner for the environment," he said.
Working batteries similar to living organisms by using enzymes to break down sugar into energy - in this case, electricity. Once the sugar supply is depleted, users simply add a new source of sugar such as plant sap or sugar water, and the battery recharges.
Dr. Minteer hopes that the sugar-based batteries is shown for the first time mobile phone chargers, batteries, laptops, and later became portable electronic devices to replace potentially toxic batteries that are used today.
If testing and refining technology continue to show improvement, sugar-based batteries could be ready for commercial use in the next three to five years.
