Fuel cells use bacteria to charge mobile phones
Carrying the charging kit along with the mobiles is no doubt a tedious affair. While scientists all over the world are busy finding the right recipe to manufacture a fuel cell that would keep the battery for a mobile phone last longer, Prof Chris Pickett and his colleagues at the John Innes Centre have come up with a brand new fuel cell. They have succeeded in building an active part of a bacterial enzyme that works like a miniature hydrogen fuel cell.
If everything works out fine, this would make the world's first efficient bacterial battery that would recharge a cell phone or any other portable electronic device within a few seconds.
This fuel cell would definitely be superior than most of the others, currently released in the market as it would replace the expensive platinum catalysts in fuel cells that break up molecules of hydrogen gas, releasing electrons that generate an electrical current.
Prof Picket et al have utilised the iron-sulphur enzymes of the bacteria that would catalyse a range of important chemical reactions that industry can only do by using precious metal catalysts and/or high temperatures and pressures.
The bacterial battery reportedly will hit the market in mid 2006 and could be used in environments where it is difficult or costly to charge the batteries.
Source: Bsnl.in
posted by FunTooZ.Com @ 11:35 PM
