element14 Community
element14 Community
    Register Log In
  • Site
  • Search
  • Log In Register
  • Members
    Members
    • Achievement Levels
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Feedback and Support
    • Members Area
    • Personal Blogs
    • What's New on element14
  • Learn
    Learn
    • eBooks
    • Learning Center
    • Learning Groups
    • STEM Academy
    • Webinars, Training and Events
  • Technologies
    Technologies
    • 3D Printing
    • Experts & Guidance
    • FPGA
    • Industrial Automation
    • Internet of Things
    • Power & Energy
    • Sensors
    • Technology Groups
  • Challenges & Projects
    Challenges & Projects
    • Arduino Projects
    • Design Challenges
    • element14 presents
    • Project14
    • Project Groups
    • Raspberry Pi Projects
  • Products
    Products
    • Arduino
    • Avnet Boards Community
    • Dev Tools
    • Manufacturers
    • Product Groups
    • Raspberry Pi
    • RoadTests & Reviews
  • Store
    Store
    • Visit Your Store
    • Or choose another store...
      • Europe
      •  Austria (German)
      •  Belgium (Dutch, French)
      •  Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
      •  Czech Republic (Czech)
      •  Denmark (Danish)
      •  Estonia (Estonian)
      •  Finland (Finnish)
      •  France (French)
      •  Germany (German)
      •  Hungary (Hungarian)
      •  Ireland
      •  Israel
      •  Italy (Italian)
      •  Latvia (Latvian)
      •  
      •  Lithuania (Lithuanian)
      •  Netherlands (Dutch)
      •  Norway (Norwegian)
      •  Poland (Polish)
      •  Portugal (Portuguese)
      •  Romania (Romanian)
      •  Russia (Russian)
      •  Slovakia (Slovak)
      •  Slovenia (Slovenian)
      •  Spain (Spanish)
      •  Sweden (Swedish)
      •  Switzerland(German, French)
      •  Turkey (Turkish)
      •  United Kingdom
      • Asia Pacific
      •  Australia
      •  China
      •  Hong Kong
      •  India
      •  Korea (Korean)
      •  Malaysia
      •  New Zealand
      •  Philippines
      •  Singapore
      •  Taiwan
      •  Thailand (Thai)
      • Americas
      •  Brazil (Portuguese)
      •  Canada
      •  Mexico (Spanish)
      •  United States
      Can't find the country/region you're looking for? Visit our export site or find a local distributor.
  • Translate
  • Profile
Power & Energy
  • Technologies
  • More
Power & Energy
Blog Researchers provide bean plants with energy storage capabilities
  • Blog
  • Forum
  • Documents
  • Polls
  • Events
  • Mentions
  • Sub-Groups
  • Tags
  • More
  • Cancel
  • New
Blog Post Actions
  • Subscribe by email
  • More
  • Cancel
  • Share
  • Subscribe by email
  • More
  • Cancel
Group Actions
  • Group RSS
  • More
  • Cancel
Engagement
  • Author Author: Catwell
  • Date Created: 12 Nov 2021 5:19 PM Date Created
  • Views 1093 views
  • Likes 3 likes
  • Comments 1 comment
  • on_campus
  • cabeatwell
  • school
  • organic
  • university
  • power
  • energy
  • innovation
Related
Recommended

Researchers provide bean plants with energy storage capabilities

Catwell
Catwell
12 Nov 2021

image

Linköping University researchers managed to make bean plants' roots electrically conductive. (Image Credit: Thor Balkhed/ Linköping University)

 

Linköping University researchers demonstrated that bean plants' roots become conductive and store energy when fed with a conjugated oligomers solution. This isn't the first time that plants can provide electrical capabilities, however. In 2015, Dr. Elena Stevrinidou revealed that circuits could form in a rose's vascular tissue. In that case, the plant's vascular system absorbed PEDOT, a conducting polymer, and formed electrical conductors that were utilized to produce transistors. In 2017, she showed that a conjugated oligomer, ETE-S, polymerized the plant, producing energy-storage conductors. 

 

"We have previously worked with plant cuttings, which were able to take up and organize conducting polymers or oligomers. However, the plant cuttings can survive for only a few days, and the plant is not growing anymore. In this new study, we use intact plants, a common bean plant grown from seed, and we show that the plants become electrically conducting when they are watered with a solution that contains oligomers," says Eleni Stavrinidou.

 

For this study, the team used an ETE-S trimer, which becomes polymerized through the bean plants' natural process. In turn, a polymer conducting film forms on the plants' roots, causing the root system to operate as a network of conductors. With a conductivity of 10.8/cm, the roots stay conductive for at least four weeks. The team looked into whether the roots could have energy-storage capabilities. They developed a root-based supercapacitor that allowed the roots to function like electrodes during the charging and discharging process.

 

"Supercapacitors based on conducting polymers and cellulose are an eco-friendly alternative for energy storage that is both cheap and scalable," says Stavrinidou.

 

image

The electronic root system can store up to 100 times more energy than other plants in previous experiments. (Image Credit: Thor Balkhed/ Linköping University)

The root-based supercapacitor stored up to 100 times more energy than initial studies. Even more, the device could be used for longer periods due to the bean plants' longevity and growth.  "The plant develops a more complex root system but is otherwise not affected: it continues to grow and produce beans," Stavrinidou says.

 

The results could lead to further sustainable energy storage developments and new biohybrid systems, such as functional materials and composites. Also, the electronic roots could progress toward developing communication between electrons and biological systems.

 

Have a story tip? Message me at: http://twitter.com/Cabe_Atwell

  • Sign in to reply
  • carmelito
    carmelito over 2 years ago

    Interesting concept,  lets hope from a sustainable energy standpoint, there is more research being done on this front..

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up 0 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
element14 Community

element14 is the first online community specifically for engineers. Connect with your peers and get expert answers to your questions.

  • Members
  • Learn
  • Technologies
  • Challenges & Projects
  • Products
  • Store
  • About Us
  • Feedback & Support
  • FAQs
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal and Copyright Notices
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies

An Avnet Company © 2023 Premier Farnell Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Premier Farnell Ltd, registered in England and Wales (no 00876412), registered office: Farnell House, Forge Lane, Leeds LS12 2NE.

ICP 备案号 10220084.

Follow element14

  • X
  • Facebook
  • linkedin
  • YouTube