A groundbreaking achievement in the realm of technology and food integration has emerged from the labs of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT - Italian Institute of Technology): the inception of a fully edible and rechargeable battery. This pioneering invention, detailed in a recent publication in the prestigious Advanced Materials journal, promises transformative applications across health diagnostics, food quality monitoring, and the burgeoning field of edible soft robotics.

Led by Mario Caironi, the mastermind behind the Printed and Molecular Electronics Laboratory at the IIT Center in Milan, Italy, the research team embarked on a mission to fashion a battery cell from everyday dietary components. Caironi’s tireless dedication to exploring the electronic capabilities of food and its derivatives led to the convergence of edible materials with cutting-edge electronic innovations. In recognition of his groundbreaking work, Caironi secured a substantial 2-million-euro ERC consolidator grant for the ELFO Project in 2019, with a primary focus on advancing the frontier of edible electronics.

The burgeoning field of edible electronics holds immense promise in revolutionizing the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal tract ailments, alongside revolutionizing food quality monitoring. Among the key challenges in this arena was the realization of edible power sources. Drawing inspiration from the fundamental biochemical redox reactions ubiquitous in all living organisms, the IIT research group engineered a battery leveraging riboflavin (vitamin B2, commonly found in almonds) as the anode and quercetin (a dietary supplement present in capers, among other foods) as the cathode.

To enhance electrical conductivity, activated charcoal, a widely-used over-the-counter medication, was incorporated, while a water-based electrolyte was employed. A separator, crucial in preventing short circuits within the battery, was ingeniously crafted from nori seaweed—the same variety used in sushi. Encased within beeswax, the electrodes emerged, boasting two food-grade gold contacts on a cellulose-derived support, resembling the foil utilized by pastry chefs.

Operating at a safe 0.65 V, a voltage level posing no harm when ingested, the battery cell delivers a current of 48 µA for 12 minutes or sustained lower microamp levels for over an hour. This potency enables the power supply of small-scale electronic devices, such as low-power LEDs, for a limited duration. This groundbreaking creation, representing the world’s maiden fully edible rechargeable battery, heralds a new era of conceivable edible electronic applications.

The convergence of food and technology, as demonstrated by this innovative creation, holds immense promise in reshaping various industries, from healthcare to consumer electronics, with potential cascading effects on human convenience and well-being. This monumental feat of scientific innovation ushers in a paradigm shift, opening doors to a future where electronic devices could potentially double as edible entities, showcasing the limitless potential at the intersection of science and human ingenuity.

“Future potential uses range from edible circuits and sensors that can monitor health conditions to the powering of sensors for monitoring food storage conditions. Moreover, given the level of safety of these batteries, they could be used in children’s toys, where there is a high risk of ingestion. Actually, we are already developing devices with greater capacity and reducing the overall size. These developments will be tested in the future also for powering edible soft robots,” pointed out the research coordinator Mario Caironi.

“This edible battery is also very interesting for the energy storage community. Building safer batteries, without the usage of toxic materials, is a challenge we face as battery demand soars. While our edible batteries won’t power electric cars, they are proof that batteries can be made from safer materials than current Li-ion batteries. We believe they will inspire other scientists to build safer batteries for a truly sustainable future,” added Ivan Ilic, coauthor of the study.

CREDITS: Research paper by Mario Caironi submitted on Research gate, named “An Edible Rechargeable Battery” by Ivan K. Ilic, Valerio Galli. Leonardo Lamanna, Pietro Cataldi, Lea Pasquale, Valerio F. Annese, Athanassia Athanassiou and Mario Caironi, on 15 March 2023.