Electric eels inspire new Oxford ‘droplet battery’

Oxford chemists have developed a novel type of biocompatible miniature battery that can regulate the biological activity of human neurons.

Adobe Stock

Inspired by the way electric eels generate a charge, the design uses an ionic gradient across a chain of tiny hydrogel droplets to produce electricity. According to the Oxford team, the work is a significant step towards realising miniature bio-integrated devices, capable of directly stimulating human cells. The study is published in Nature.  

“The miniaturised soft power source represents a breakthrough in bio-integrated devices,” said lead author Dr Yujia Zhang, from Oxford’s Department of Chemistry.  

“By harnessing ion gradients, we have developed a miniature, biocompatible system for regulating cells and tissues on the microscale, which opens up a wide range of potential applications in biology and medicine.”

The miniature battery was produced by depositing a chain of five nanolitre-sized droplets of a conductive hydrogel. Each droplet has a different composition, resulting in a salt concentration gradient created across the chain. Droplets are separated from their neighbours by lipid bilayers, which provide mechanical support while also preventing ions from flowing between the droplets.

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.  

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox