Development of a Battery Using a Hydrogel Network

Abstract

Biocompatible power sources are essential for implanting electronic devices in the body. One promising technology is batteries based on droplet networks. In this method, two droplets of different solute concentrations coated with lipid monolayers are combined in oil. An anion-selective membrane protein is then inserted into the lipid bilayer formed between the two droplets to generate an electric current. However, the droplet interface bilayer is vulnerable to external stimuli and the droplets tend to fuse. To solve this problem, we herein use a hydrogel network composed of gels separated by a lipid bilayer. Gels are more rigid than droplets, thus enabling the construction of robust networks. We first evaluate the robustness of the hydrogel network. Next, we verify the occurrence of ion transport in the network. Finally, we create a battery using the hydrogel network.