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Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a soft and stretchable battery that is powered by human perspiration.

The prototype battery consists of printed silver flake electrodes that generate electricity in the presence of sweat. Measuring 2 cm by 2 cm and as flat as a small paper bandage, the battery is affixed to a flexible and sweat absorbent textile that is stretchable and attachable to wearable devices, like watches, wrist bands or arm straps.

To demonstrate its potential use when it becomes incorporated in wearable biosensors and other electronic devices, the team of scientists tested their device with artificial human sweat.

In a separate trial, the team reported that an individual wearing the battery around their wrist and cycling on a stationary bicycle for 30 minutes was able to generate a voltage of 4.2 V and output power of 3.9 mW that was sufficient to power a commercial temperature sensor device and send the data continuously to a smartphone via Bluetooth.

The battery does not contain heavy metals or toxic chemicals unlike conventional batteries, which are often built using unsustainable materials that are harmful to the environment.

Serving as a more sustainable alternative that could cut down on harmful electronic waste, the development of the sweat-powered battery reflects NTU’s commitment to find solutions to mitigate our impact on the environment. This is one of the four humanity’s grand challenges that NTU seeks to address under the NTU 2025 strategic plan.

Materials scientist Professor Lee Pooi See, and Dean of NTU Graduate College, who led the study, said: “Our technology heralds a previously unreachable milestone in the design of wearable devices. By capitalising on a ubiquitous product, perspiration, we could be looking at a more environmentally friendly way of powering wearable devices that does not rely on conventional batteries. It is a near-guaranteed source of energy produced by our bodies. We expect the battery to be capable of powering all sorts of wearable devices.”

The study was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Science Advances in July. A patent application for the sweat-powered battery has also been filed through NTU’s enterprise and innovation company, NTUitive.

Dr Lyu Jian, a Research Fellow from NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering, who is the co-first author of the study, said: “Conventional batteries are cheaper and more common than ever, but they are often built using unsustainable materials which are harmful to the environment. They are also potentially harmful in wearable devices, where a broken battery could spill toxic fluids onto human skin. Our device could provide a real …….

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210816102548.htm