Bio-catalyzed oxidation self-charging zinc–polymer batteries

What is it about?

Self-charging batteries are urgently needed as they can power microelectronic devices without external charging devices. Various self-charging methods have been proposed, but auto-oxidation by O2 in the air is regarded as the most unrestricted by environmental conditions. The main drawback of oxidative self-charging is the low charging efficiency. Inspired by biology, we have improved oxidative self-charging efficiency by introducing hemoglobin (Hb) as an electrode additive in the Zn-polymer battery. The heme acts as a catalyst to accelerate the autoxidation reaction by regulating the charge and spin state of O2. This biology-inspired electronic regulation strategy may inspire the further development of self-charging batteries.

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