An international research team reports progress in the development of an organic polymer battery that delivers a cell voltage of 2.8 V, marking a significant advance in the energy storage capability of these devices. The achievement moves the prospects for engineering sustainable and biodegradable batteries for consumer use closer to reality.

Rechargeable batteries based on environmentally sustainable materials can provide an alternative to power supplies, such as lithium-ion batteries, which require a secure supply of lithium, cobalt and other critical mineral ore resources. The inclusion of organic components can also enhance the safe usage and non-hazardous disposal of batteries.

The battery devised by researchers from Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (China), University of Queensland (Australia) and Flinders University (Australia) features a cathode composed of stable aminoxyl radical and a conjugated dicarboxylate anode based on silver terephthalate. According to research reported in Chemical Engineering Journal, the organic device delivers a capacity of 182 mAh/g.

This development is expected to pave the way for the design of a fully biodegradable battery with a cell voltage exceeding 3.0 V and capacity greater than 200 mAh/g.