Electric eels inspire wearable tech with 'jelly batteries'

Jelly batteries are at the forefront of a technological revolution, promising to transform soft robotics, wearable devices, and neurology with their unique properties and potential applications.

These innovative power sources, inspired by the natural world, offer a new approach to creating flexible, durable, and biocompatible electronics that could significantly impact various industries.

Turning to nature for tech inspiration

Electric eels have always captivated biologists through their unique ability to stun their prey using specialized cells known as electrocytes.

These fascinating creatures have now spurred a remarkable scientific achievement, inspiring researchers to harness the principles of their natural electrical systems.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have found a way to mimic the layered structure of electrocytes and develop similar conductive, sticky, and stretchable materials, essentially creating “jelly batteries.”

These innovative materials not only emulate the eel’s natural abilities but also hold the potential to revolutionize a wide range of applications in electronics and bioengineering.

A breakthrough in material science

In a revelation that combines stretchability and conductivity in a singular material for the first time, these jelly batteries could be stretched to over ten times their original length without affecting conductivity.

The batteries are made from hydrogels, which are 3D networks of polymers that contain over 60% water, held together by reversible on/off interactions controlling their mechanical properties.

The primary challenge was creating a material that was highly stretchable with conductive properties.

“It’s difficult to design a material that is both highly stretchable and highly conductive, since those two properties are normally at odds with one another,” explained first author Stephen O’Neill, an expert in Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry. “Typically, conductivity decreases when a material is stretched.”

The solution came by charging these polymers, thus making them conductive. Additionally, the salt component in each gel could be altered to make them sticky and layer them, building up energy potential.

Reshaping the future of electronics

This revolution in material science is a significant departure from the traditional, rigid metallic materials used in conventional electronics, which rely on electrons as charge carriers. By adopting a more flexible and adaptable approach, jelly batteries offer a novel solution that aligns more closely with the needs of modern, dynamic technologies.

Instead, these jelly batteries take a page out of nature’s book, using ions to carry charge, emulating the natural electrical systems of electric eels. This ion-based conduction not only enhances flexibility but also opens up new possibilities for creating soft, stretchable, and resilient electronic devices.

The key to this innovation is the use of barrel-shaped molecules called cucurbiturils, which act as molecular handcuffs, forming reversible bonds between the different layers of the material. This unique adhesion mechanism allows the jelly batteries to stretch significantly without the layers separating or losing conductivity, maintaining their functionality and integrity even under stress.

Jelly batteries and biomedical implants

With their softness and resilience, these hydrogel batteries hold immense promise for biomedical implants as they can be customized to match the mechanical properties of human tissue.

Free from rigid components such as metal, hydrogel implants are less likely to be rejected by the body or induce scar tissue.

Moreover, these hydrogels are surprisingly tough, maintaining their form even when squashed, and able to self-heal when damaged.

What does the future hold for jelly batteries?

Expansion in this area of research is already planned, with tests on living organisms to evaluate their suitability for various medical applications.

This work is being carried out by distinguished members from the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry and the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge.

The research was funded by the European Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The intersection of nature and technology has once again proven its potential to steer the future of tech and medical science, with jelly batteries promising to lead the charge in a new era of biocompatible and flexible electronics.

The study is published in the journal Science Advances.

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