Researchers at the University of Cordoba have developed a zinc-air battery that uses vitamin B12 and has withstood up to 250 recharge cycles, infohub.kz reports.
Unlike conventional batteries, zinc-air cells draw oxygen directly from the surrounding air, making them lightweight and energy-dense. They are already used in hearing aids, but until now such batteries could not be made rechargeable. Operating in both directions — discharging and charging — requires a special catalyst to speed up the chemical reactions.
Vitamin B12, whose structure contains cobalt, proved to be a suitable solution. During discharge it helps convert oxygen into water, and during charging it releases oxygen back. Because the vitamin dissolves easily in water, the scientists anchored it to single-walled carbon nanotubes — ultra-thin carbon structures that hold the substance within the aqueous electrolyte.
According to the authors, this is already the team's third prototype using biological molecules, following experiments with hemoglobin and catalase. In the future, such safe and inexpensive batteries could help store surplus energy from solar and wind power plants.