ScienceDaily (July 24, 2007) — The notion of generating electricity from flowing blood, pulsating blood vessels, or a beating heart may seem like science fiction. But scientists are reporting a stride in that direction in the August 8 issue of ACS' Nano Letters, a monthly journal, with development a more powerful nanogenerator for powering implantable biomedical devices and other small electronics.

In the report, Zhong Lin Wang and colleagues explain that such nano-devices show great promise for biosensing, environmental monitoring and personal electronics. Lacking, however, are practical ways to power these devices. The report discusses a prototype nanogenerator, developed earlier, which consists of zinc oxide nanowires and could turn mechanical energy into electricity.

Researchers now describe an improved version of the device, which produces 20-30 times more electric current and is able to generate electricity while immersed in biological fluids or other liquids, using ultrasonic waves as the energy source. "It sets a solid foundation for self-powering implantable and wireless nanodevices and nanosystems in biofluid and any other type of liquid," the report states.

Article: "Integrated Nanogenerators in Biofluid"

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