Table sugar might power electronic devices like the iPhone in the future. (Photo : YouTube/TheUnlockr)
Batteries for mobile phones contain harmful toxins that are detrimental to a person's health and to the environment. A battery often includes lead which can cause damage to the reproductive, blood and nervous systems. Mercury, which is used not only for smart phone batteries but also for crystal displays and circuit boards, can cause brain and kidney damage. Moreover, Cadmium, which is a main component of cell phone batteries, is associated with cognition and neuromotor deficits.
There are several technologies that have been developed to do away with the toxins that are integral in producing cell phone batteries. Just recently, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology unveiled an innovation that would utilize a common natural substance for battery production.
According to a report by Yahoo News, scientists Sayalee Mahajan and Albert Liu, together with five other researchers, recently published an academic paper detailing the use of table sugar in order to power electronic device like the iPhone.
The research team used table sugar in order to heat nanotubes in order to produce energy. The MIT team's Thermopower Wave battery pushes electrons down the tube in order to create an electric current.
Other materials aside from sugar can be used as heat sources for the carbon nanotube-based power system. However, these substances should be at par with the efficiency of what other batteries can deliver.
Researchers have only been able to use the thermopower wave battery in order to power LED lights. They have admitted that it would take a long while before it is viable to mass produce their system in order to produce energy for electronic gadgets like smartphones.
Scientists, who have not been involved with the recent study, have since voiced out their opinions surrounding the technology. They are certain that with more research, the thermopower wave indeed prove to be very useful.
"I believe that we are still far from the upper limit that the thermopower wave devices can potentially reach. However, this step makes the technology more attractive for real applications. [With this technology,] we can obtain phenomenal bursts of power, which is not possible from batteries. For instance, the thermopower wave systems can be used for powering long-distance transmission units in micro- and nano-telecommunication hubs" explained Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh from RMIT University in Australia via the official press release published by the MIT News.
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