Author: Tianzi Liu
Editors: Junyu Zheng, Suri Liu
Artist: Becky Li
If you have ever tried durian, you will understand what "smelly" truly means. The odor is so intense that it has been prohibited in public vehicles and shopping malls. Durian is quite divisive, with the phrase “you either hate it or love it” describing people’s differing feelings towards it. While some have fallen deeply in love with the fruit, others find it repulsive, akin to an exploded toilet. But no matter what your stance on durians may be, it’s a proven fact that this stinky fruit is one of the fastest-charging batteries in the world.
Researchers from the University of Sydney have discovered that durian can be an excellent material for charging batteries in our electronic devices. “Using durian and jackfruit purchased from a market, we converted the fruits’ waste portions (biomass) into supercapacitors that can efficiently store electricity,” said Associate Professor Vincent Gomes. These researchers transformed durian into carbon aerogels, which is an extremely light and porous synthetic material used in a wide spectrum of applications such as energy-restoring devices and supercapacitors, by using a non-toxic and non-hazardous green engineering method that involves heating in water and freeze-drying the fruits’ biomass.
“Carbon aerogels make great supercapacitors because they are highly porous. We then used the fruit-derived aerogels to make electrodes we tested for their energy storage properties, and we found them to be exceptional,” said one researcher.
And yes, “fruit-derived aerogels” means exactly what it sounds like. Surprisingly, mangoes, lemons, and other fruits have also been considered for battery applications, though none have matched the efficiency of durian. Unlike ordinary batteries that rely on chemical reactions to store electrical energy, durian-based supercapacitors bridge the gap between electrolytic capacitors and rechargeable batteries. They typically store 10 to 100 times more energy per unit volume or mass than electrolytic capacitors, deliver charges much faster than batteries, and tolerate many more charge and discharge cycles than rechargeable batteries.
Durian's "multi-fiber, fleshy" organic waste possesses excellent mechanical stability, making it an ideal choice for energy storage devices. Mechanical stability refers not only to how much external load the material can withstand, but more importantly, how many charge/discharge cycles can be achieved at a high operation rate with high capacitance retention. Mechanical stability is relevant to pseudo supercapacitance, as it involves electrochemical reactions between active materials and electrolytes. The high fiber content, toughness, and porous structure of durian contribute to this stability, ensuring reliable performance.
Recycling durian is not only beneficial for energy storage, but also for the environment. "Converting food waste into value-added products will not only improve the overall economy but also reduce environmental pollution," the researchers indicated. Disposing durian shells has been a major challenge for garbage storage due to a lack of proper disposal methods. Researchers from Prince of Songkla University have highlighted the issue, noting that during the durian season from May to June, large quantities of durian shells end up in landfills or are discarded improperly. Hence, instead of focusing solely on disposal methods, we should prioritize recycling durian shells to put them to effective use. Environmentally, using durian for energy storage could potentially help reduce the amount of electronic waste, such as traditional batteries, eventually lowering the carbon footprint. Many battery production processes involve toxic chemicals that harm the environment, but decreasing demand for traditional batteries could help remission environmental contamination.
From an economic perspective, this innovation could boost the income of many low-income regions that produce durians; farmers could benefit from selling durian and even durian waste. It also allows the promotion of green, environment-friendly industries, eventually increasing job opportunities in research and manufacturing fields. Durian is no longer just a smelly fruit disliked by millions, it has become a new environmentally friendly charging material with remarkable potential for energy storage applications.
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