A nanobattery based on biopolymers

By Almaz Aliev

nanobattery biopolymer peptoid peptide nanosheet

Conventional batteries have been manufactured by top-down approach. It is believed that bottom-up approach offers better efficiency.
Peptide/peptoid synthesis method, being a method of bottom-up approach, allow to obtain biopolymers of precise sequences of its building blocks. By using this method it is possible to combine all the necessary parts of battery into a monolayer of peptoids/peptides. A nanosheet of vertically-aligned biopolymers is considered here.
To function properly a chain of the biopolymer has to have three distinct parts:

-First part is a sequence with the side chains that should have mobile charge carriers, for example, benzenehexolate of lithium. It can be reversibly oxidised to rhodizonate group liberating alkaline ions.
-Second part should facilitate ion transport. Its sequence can be analogous to the one of the membrane ionic channels
-And finally, third part has to have a sequence of side chain residues with some charge carrier retaining properties. For example, naphthalene or other conjugated molecules. It is known that alkaline atoms can be intercalated into these molecules.

The chain of the biopolymer with above described sequence will be amphiphilic. In suitable conditions, it has to self assemble into a monolayer. Then this nanosheet can be sandwiched between electrodes.

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