Bio-Virus Batteries: MIT Developing Eco-Friendly Lithium-Ion Battery
A team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(M.I.T.) has brought about another great development in clean, efficient energy as they have just released a study showing they can genetically engineer viruses to build both the positively and negatively charged ends of a lithium-ion battery.The new type of battery would come in the form of a thin film, and would be capable of charging anything from hybrid electric videos to laptops, iPods, and cellular phones. According to the research, not only would the bio-virus battery perform equal to or better than the standard lithium ion batteries available on the market today, but they would also be a much more environmentally friendly alternative.
“Because the viruses are living organisms, we had to use only water-based solvents, no high pressures and no high temperatures…..We’re using a biological template that’s already on the nanoscale.” -Angela Belcher, scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge
Because the viruses can be engineered to self-assemble into the anode and cathode ends of a battery, these new lithium batteries will also be able to be developed in non-traditional forms using micro-contact printing. “This work is an exciting breakthrough,” noted battery chemist Kang Xu of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory in Adelphi, Md. “Belcher is the first to use viruses as a nano-template to assemble materials.”
Category: Battery News
[...] Bio-Virus Batteries: MIT Developing Eco-Friendly Lithium-Ion Battery [...]
[...] team of bio-engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) caused quite a stir earlier this month with the release of a study showing they can genetically engineer viruses to build both the [...]