Media Contact<\/strong>: tracey_peake@ncsu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers from North Carolina State University and Rice University have created a non-toxic, stretchable battery that operates by extracting moisture from the ambient environment \u2013 even in climates as dry as the desert. The batteries could be useful in Internet of Things (IoT) applications ranging from wearables to advanced surveillance monitors with built-in kill-switches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emerging technologies, like wearable monitors, miniature robotics and other IoT devices, require lightweight, flexible power sources. Conventional batteries, which represent the best power source options, are often too rigid and heavy to be useful, and they contain toxic materials which can leak. Energy harvesters, so-called because they capture energy from the surrounding environment and convert it into electrical power, are lighter, but their performance is limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new moisture-activated battery (MAB) includes a magnesium anode and a silver\/silver chloride cathode, with a cellulose membrane loaded with lithium chloride salts that serves as a separator. The separator harvests moisture from ambient air which dissolves the salts and creates the electrolyte, allowing charge to flow through the battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur battery eliminates toxic and flammable electrolytes because it\u2019s essentially running on salt water,\u201d says Amay Bandodkar,<\/a> assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and co-corresponding author of the research \u201cAnd since it only activates once it\u2019s exposed to ambient air, it remains inactive while within sealed packaging, giving it an extended shelf life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The researchers also improved upon the battery\u2019s performance while being stretched. Most stretchable batteries utilize a series of serpentine interconnectors that still allow the current to flow when stretched. However, stretching the device creates gaps which lower energy density. The MAB\u2019s design utilizes a pangolin-inspired structure of densely packed overlapping scales, which eliminates most of those gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMechanics plays a central role in making these batteries both stretchable and practical,\u201d says Raudel Avila<\/a>, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Rice University and co-corresponding author of the study, \u201cOur modeling revealed how bioinspired stacking and stretchable interconnectors can redistribute deformation throughout the battery, preserving performance under bending, twisting and stretching while minimizing the empty space that typically reduces energy density.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The researchers used the MAB to run a wireless Bluetooth oximeter for up to 30 hours, showing that its lifespan is comparable to that of conventional batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis battery is far more than an academic proof of concept; it is a practical energy source capable of powering everyday IoT and medical devices,\u201d says Abraham V\u00e1zquez-Guardado<\/a>, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and co-corresponding author of the research. \u201cThat level of performance proves this battery technology is ready to power a whole new generation of electronic devices and applications.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAdditionally, the battery is lighter than many existing commercially available batteries and is made of biocompatible and biodegradable materials, making it a viable non-toxic alternative to lithium-ion batteries\u201d adds Rajaram Kaveti, postdoctoral researcher at NC State and first author of the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, the research team also demonstrated a unique \u201ckill switch\u201d feature based on the moisture-harvesting technology, which can serve as an anti-tampering safeguard and quickly destroy a device when triggered. Such kill switches could be useful in surveillance monitoring used in covert intelligence-gathering missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The switch is composed of a dry mixture of aluminum and iodine powder stored within an isolated compartment inside the device housing. A moisture harvesting cellulose membrane covers the compartment. When pressure is applied to the housing \u2013 for example, by someone trying to remove or disable a surveillance device \u2013 the dry powder mix comes in direct contact with the harvested water, initiating a violent chemical reaction that engulfs the device in flames and destroys it completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As proof-of-concept, the researchers installed the kill switch within a MAB-powered wireless gas sensor. The team showed that the wireless sensor, including the embedded CMOS electronics, was obliterated within 3 minutes of activation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese batteries open new opportunities in miniaturized, high-energy density, and non-toxic power sources suitable for next-generation IoT devices,\u201d Bandokar says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The research appears in Science Advances <\/a><\/em>and is supported by NC State\u2019s Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) Center Industry Seed Fund and Chancellor\u2019s Innovation Fund, as well as by Rice University\u2019s ENRICH office. NC State graduate student Akshay Bhardwaj and postdoctoral scholar Ayemeh Bagheri Hashkavayi, as well as Rice University Ph.D. student Pei Liu, are co-first authors. Other NC State collaborators include: Bhavya Jain, Adrian Rodriguez-Kattan, Mahaboobbatcha Aleem, Baha Erim Uzuno\u011flu, Gurudatt N.G., B\u00fcnyamin \u015eahin and Veena Misra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -peake-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note to editors:<\/strong> An abstract follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSafe, high-performance, moisture-activated batteries for powering next-generation Internet-of-Things devices\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DOI:<\/strong> 10.1126\/sciadv.aee2065<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Authors:<\/em> Rajaram Kaveti, Akshay Bhardwaj, Ayemeh Bagheri Hashkavayi, Bhavya Jain, Adrian Rodriguez-Kattan, Mahaboobbatcha Aleem, Baha Erim Uzuno\u011flu, Gurudatt N.G., B\u00fcnyamin \u015eahin, Veena Misra, Abraham V\u00e1zquez-Guardado, Amay J. Bandodkar, North Carolina State University; Pei Liu, Raudel Avila, Rice University<\/p>\n\n\n\n Published:<\/em> July 1, 2026 in Science Advances<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Abstract:<\/strong> This post was originally published<\/a> in NC State News.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n Media Contact<\/strong>: tracey_peake@ncsu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers from North Carolina State University and Rice University have created a non-toxic, stretchable battery that operates by extracting moisture from the ambient environment \u2013 even in climates as dry as the desert. The batteries could be useful in Internet of Things (IoT) applications ranging from wearables to advanced surveillance monitors with built-in kill-switches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emerging technologies, like wearable monitors, miniature robotics and other IoT devices, require lightweight, flexible power sources. Conventional batteries, which represent the best power source options, are often too rigid and heavy to be useful, and they contain toxic materials which can leak. Energy harvesters, so-called because they capture energy from the surrounding environment and convert it into electrical power, are lighter, but their performance is limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new moisture-activated battery (MAB) includes a magnesium anode and a silver\/silver chloride cathode, with a cellulose membrane loaded with lithium chloride salts that serves as a separator. The separator harvests moisture from ambient air which dissolves the salts and creates the electrolyte, allowing charge to flow through the battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur battery eliminates toxic and flammable electrolytes because it\u2019s essentially running on salt water,\u201d says Amay Bandodkar,<\/a> assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and co-corresponding author of the research \u201cAnd since it only activates once it\u2019s exposed to ambient air, it remains inactive while within sealed packaging, giving it an extended shelf life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The researchers also improved upon the battery\u2019s performance while being stretched. Most stretchable batteries utilize a series of serpentine interconnectors that still allow the current to flow when stretched. However, stretching the device creates gaps which lower energy density. The MAB\u2019s design utilizes a pangolin-inspired structure of densely packed overlapping scales, which eliminates most of those gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMechanics plays a central role in making these batteries both stretchable and practical,\u201d says Raudel Avila<\/a>, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Rice University and co-corresponding author of the study, \u201cOur modeling revealed how bioinspired stacking and stretchable interconnectors can redistribute deformation throughout the battery, preserving performance under bending, twisting and stretching while minimizing the empty space that typically reduces energy density.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The researchers used the MAB to run a wireless Bluetooth oximeter for up to 30 hours, showing that its lifespan is comparable to that of conventional batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis battery is far more than an academic proof of concept; it is a practical energy source capable of powering everyday IoT and medical devices,\u201d says Abraham V\u00e1zquez-Guardado<\/a>, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and co-corresponding author of the research. \u201cThat level of performance proves this battery technology is ready to power a whole new generation of electronic devices and applications.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAdditionally, the battery is lighter than many existing commercially available batteries and is made of biocompatible and biodegradable materials, making it a viable non-toxic alternative to lithium-ion batteries\u201d adds Rajaram Kaveti, postdoctoral researcher at NC State and first author of the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, the research team also demonstrated a unique \u201ckill switch\u201d feature based on the moisture-harvesting technology, which can serve as an anti-tampering safeguard and quickly destroy a device when triggered. Such kill switches could be useful in surveillance monitoring used in covert intelligence-gathering missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The switch is composed of a dry mixture of aluminum and iodine powder stored within an isolated compartment inside the device housing. A moisture harvesting cellulose membrane covers the compartment. When pressure is applied to the housing \u2013 for example, by someone trying to remove or disable a surveillance device \u2013 the dry powder mix comes in direct contact with the harvested water, initiating a violent chemical reaction that engulfs the device in flames and destroys it completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As proof-of-concept, the researchers installed the kill switch within a MAB-powered wireless gas sensor. The team showed that the wireless sensor, including the embedded CMOS electronics, was obliterated within 3 minutes of activation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese batteries open new opportunities in miniaturized, high-energy density, and non-toxic power sources suitable for next-generation IoT devices,\u201d Bandokar says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The research appears in Science Advances <\/a><\/em>and is supported by NC State\u2019s Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) Center Industry Seed Fund and Chancellor\u2019s Innovation Fund, as well as by Rice University\u2019s ENRICH office. NC State graduate student Akshay Bhardwaj and postdoctoral scholar Ayemeh Bagheri Hashkavayi, as well as Rice University Ph.D. student Pei Liu, are co-first authors. Other NC State collaborators include: Bhavya Jain, Adrian Rodriguez-Kattan, Mahaboobbatcha Aleem, Baha Erim Uzuno\u011flu, Gurudatt N.G., B\u00fcnyamin \u015eahin and Veena Misra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -peake-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note to editors:<\/strong> An abstract follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSafe, high-performance, moisture-activated batteries for powering next-generation Internet-of-Things devices\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DOI:<\/strong> 10.1126\/sciadv.aee2065<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conventional batteries are heavy, non-conformal, and toxic while energy harvesters offer low\/variable power rendering them unsuitable for emerging wearable, robotic, and other Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. Here we introduce a non-toxic, thin-film battery superior to several commercial batteries inspired by advances in water harvesting techniques. It scavenges ambient moisture to serve as its electrolyte, combining features of an energy harvester with attractive features of a battery (stable and high power). It functions in a wide range of environments and offers open-circuit voltage of ~1.6 V, specific capacity of ~52 mAh\/g and specific energy of ~81 mWh\/g. Unique pangolin skin-mimicking design imparts high flexibility, stretchability, and fill-factor to the battery ensuring conformability without compromising on capacity. Experimental and computer simulation studies reveal the distinctive materials and design features responsible for the battery\u2019s impressive performance. Examples of a wireless wearable pulse oximeter and surveillance monitor with a unique kill-switch that secures it from unauthorized access demonstrate the versatility of the battery to power various IoT devices.<\/p>\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/h6>\n\n\n\n