Nuclear batteries that last decades are being considered as an alternative to lithium batteries that require constant recharging.
Professor Su-Il In, from the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, presented the concept at an American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting last week.
In a statement, the ACS said that sometimes cell phones died sooner than expected or electric vehicles did not have enough charge to reach their destination.
“The rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in these and other devices typically last hours or days between charging,” it said.
“Now, researchers are considering radiocarbon as a source for safe, small and affordable nuclear batteries that could last decades or longer without charging.”
The ACS said, with the increasing ubiquity of connected devices, data centres and other computing technologies, the demand for long-lasting batteries was increasing.
Better Li-ion batteries were unlikely to be the answer to this challenge
“The performance of Li-ion batteries is almost saturated,” Professor In said in the statement.
“Nuclear batteries generate power by harnessing high-energy particles emitted by radioactive materials.
“Not all radioactive elements emit radiation that’s damaging to living organisms, and some radiation can be blocked by certain materials.”
The researchers produced have created a prototype battery from a radioactive form of carbon, called radiocarbon.
Because radiocarbon degrades very slowly, a radiocarbon-powered battery could theoretically last for millennia.
Professor In said long-lasting nuclear batteries could mean a pacemaker would last a person’s lifetime, eliminating the need for surgical replacements.
“As climate concerns grow, public perception of nuclear energy is changing,” he said. “We can put safe nuclear energy into devices the size of a finger.”
Visit the ACS Spring 2025 program to learn more.
