Sony bio battery generates power from sugar

Test cells of Sony's bio batteryhave achieved power output of 50mW, sufficient to power music playback on a memory-type Walkman.

Sony Corp. has announced the development of a bio battery that generates electricityfrom carbohydrates contained in sugar, using enzymesas its catalyst, through the application of power generation principles found in living organisms.

Test cells of this bio battery have achieved power output of 50mW, claimed to be the world's highest level for passive-type bio batteries. The output of these test cells is sufficient to power music playback on a memory-type Walkman.

To realize this level of power output, Sony developed a system of breaking down sugar to generate electricity that involves efficiently immobilizing enzymes and the mediator¡ªmade up of electronic conduction materials¡ªwhile retaining the activity of the enzymes at the anode. The company also developed a new cathode structure that efficiently supplies oxygen to the electrode while ensuring that the appropriate water content is maintained. Optimizing the electrolyte for these two technologies has enabled these power output levels to be reached.

Sugar is a naturally occurring energy source produced by plants through photosynthesis. It is therefore regenerative, and can be found in most areas of the earth, underlining the potential for sugar-based bio batteries as an ecologically friendly energy device of the future.

Sony will continue its development of immobilization systems, electrode composition and other technologies in order to further enhance power output and durability, with the aim of realizing practical applications for these bio batteries in the future.

Sony's research on the bio battery has been accepted as an academic paper at the 234th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition in Boston, MA USA.