Researchers Have Found a Way To Convert Fingertip Sweat Into Electricity

Throughout the years, modes of generating electricity from various types of waste have been developed, but a new study has found a way to convert sweat from our own fingertips into usable energy.

A group of nano-engineering researchers from the University of California San Diego have found that fingertips produce 100 to 1,000 times more sweat than other body parts. According to their paper posted on science journal Joule, the team conducted a test to generate electricity by attaching an absorbent band-shaped device to the tip of a finger. Electrodes are loaded with enzymes that generate electricity by inducing a chemical reaction between lactic acid and oxygen molecules contained in sweat. The more you sweat, the more electrical energy is stored in the battery at the back of the band.

After wearing the wristband device for 10 hours, about 400 millijoules of energy were collected, which is enough to operate an electronic wristwatch for 24 hours. According to a co-author of the study, research is being done to be able to generate enough energy to charge a smartphone for daily use.

“Free energy” from sleep?
Wearable bioenergy harvesters that used to require quite a workout to generate a small power are no more!
Check out our recent paper on @Joule_CP on wearable biofuel cell harvesting energy from a touch of your fingertip!https://t.co/2zK038cAlt

— Lu Yin (@YinLu_CLT) July 13, 2021

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