Stretchable and Biodegradable Plant-Based Organic Batteries

Next-generation electronics will interface intimately with the human body. This requires devices with high degrees of conformability and autonomy, where integrated soft and stretchable batteries are an essential component. However, existing stretchable batteries are predominantly based on unsustainable transition metal-based active materials and use non-biodegradable petroleum-based elastomers. Such batteries cause environmental issues like waste generation upon disposal and the use of finite resources during manufacturing. To address this, we present a stretchable and biodegradable organic battery employing sustainable plant-based materials with cellulose as a structural component in the electrode, separator, and current collector, and with redox-active biomaterials for energy storge and a biomass-derived biodegradable elastomer for encapsulation. Our 3D porous scaffold design allows for high mass loadings of redox-active biomolecules, in combination with a low Young’s modulus. The full cell showed reversible electrochemical performance under stretching and is biodegradable.