Print this page

SUGAR ENERGY

At the end of March 2007, Dr Shelley Minteer presented research to the American Chemical Society Conference in Chicago, demonstrating that a viable battery powered by sugar could be available for general use within five years.
Biodegradable prototype batteries constructed from biopolymers from crustaceans and algae could be fuelled successfully by different sources of sugar, including sugared water, glucose, still soft drinks and tree saps. The sugar was oxidized into electrons and protons by enzymes called dehydrogenases. It was claimed that these batteries could provide power for more than three times as long as the batteries in common use now, and that they would be refillable, either using prefilled cartridges or any suitable sugary liquid.