Edible Supercapacitors: The Future of Ingestible Electronics
What are Edible Supercapacitors?
Edible supercapacitors are a new type of electrical component that can store energy. Unlike traditional supercapacitors, which are made from materials like aluminum or graphene, edible supercapacitors are made from food ingredients such as cheese, eggs, gelatin, and Gatorade.
How are Edible Supercapacitors Made?
To make an edible supercapacitor, researchers mix egg white with carbon pellets, then add water and more egg white. They apply the mixture to a bit of edible gold foil. They then layer together a slice of cheese and a sheet of gelatin with the egg-and carbon-covered gold foil. On top of that, they add a square of dried seaweed, which has been soaked with drops of energy drink. They stack more of the same materials together, and seal them in a sealing machine.
Applications of Edible Supercapacitors
Edible supercapacitors have a wide range of potential applications in the medical field. For example, they could be used to power tiny cameras that can be swallowed to conduct investigative tests of the digestive tract. They could also be used to deliver certain nutrients or medicines to specific areas of the gut.
Advantages of Edible Supercapacitors
Edible supercapacitors have several advantages over traditional ingestible electronics. First, they are completely nontoxic. Second, they do not need to be passed from the digestive tract, which is an advantage for patients who have difficulty passing pills. Third, they can be made very small, which makes them easier to swallow.
Challenges and Future Directions
One of the challenges facing the development of edible supercapacitors is their size. As of now, the devices are about the size of a ketchup packet. Researchers are working on developing smaller devices that can be swallowed more easily.
Another challenge is the need to develop edible supercapacitors that can function for longer periods of time. The current devices can only function for a few hours, but researchers are working on developing devices that can function for days or even weeks.
Despite these challenges, edible supercapacitors have the potential to revolutionize the field of ingestible electronics. They offer a number of advantages over traditional devices, and researchers are making progress in overcoming the challenges facing their development.
Additional Information
- The research on edible supercapacitors was published in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies.
- The team of researchers was led by Professor Hanqing Jiang of Arizona State University.
- Edible supercapacitors have been shown to be effective in killing E. coli bacteria.
- Edible supercapacitors could be used to deliver drugs to specific areas of the gut.
- Edible supercapacitors are still under development, but they have the potential to revolutionize the field of ingestible electronics.