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After doing a little light reading today, I picked up SugarBatteries.com (Someone grabbed SugarBattery.com)
CHICAGO, March 26 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have developed a fuel cell battery that runs on nearly any sugar source -- from soft drinks to tree sap -- and operates more efficiently.
The St. Louis University researchers said such batteries have the potential to operate three to four times longer on a single charge than do conventional lithium ion batteries.
The new battery, which is also biodegradable, might eventually replace lithium ion batteries in many portable electronic applications, including computers, the scientists said.
"This study shows that renewable fuels can be directly employed in batteries at room temperature to lead to more energy-efficient battery technology than metal-based approaches," said study leader Shelley Minteer, an electrochemist at St. Louis University. "It demonstrates that by bridging biology and chemistry, we can build a better battery that's also cleaner for the environment."
CHICAGO, March 26 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have developed a fuel cell battery that runs on nearly any sugar source -- from soft drinks to tree sap -- and operates more efficiently.
The St. Louis University researchers said such batteries have the potential to operate three to four times longer on a single charge than do conventional lithium ion batteries.
The new battery, which is also biodegradable, might eventually replace lithium ion batteries in many portable electronic applications, including computers, the scientists said.
"This study shows that renewable fuels can be directly employed in batteries at room temperature to lead to more energy-efficient battery technology than metal-based approaches," said study leader Shelley Minteer, an electrochemist at St. Louis University. "It demonstrates that by bridging biology and chemistry, we can build a better battery that's also cleaner for the environment."
