Micronuclear battery based on a coalescent energy transducer

Kai Li, Congchong Yan, Junren Wang, Kun Zhu, Junjun Guo, Yugang Zhang, Guozheng Shi, Yuchen Yin, Liwei Cheng, Liang Sun, Yumin Wang, Hailong Zhang, Ying Sun, Jianyu Yuan, Wanli Ma, Guoxun Ji, Zhifang Chai, Yaxing Wang (), Xiaoping Ouyang () and Shuao Wang ()
Additional contact information
Kai Li: Soochow University
Congchong Yan: Soochow University
Junren Wang: Soochow University
Kun Zhu: Soochow University
Junjun Guo: Soochow University
Yugang Zhang: Soochow University
Guozheng Shi: Soochow University
Yuchen Yin: Soochow University
Liwei Cheng: Soochow University
Liang Sun: Soochow University
Yumin Wang: Soochow University
Hailong Zhang: Soochow University
Ying Sun: Soochow University
Jianyu Yuan: Soochow University
Wanli Ma: Soochow University
Guoxun Ji: Xi’an Research Institute of High Technology
Zhifang Chai: Soochow University
Yaxing Wang: Soochow University
Xiaoping Ouyang: Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology
Shuao Wang: Soochow University

Nature, 2024, vol. 633, issue 8031, 811-815

Abstract: Abstract Micronuclear batteries harness energy from the radioactive decay of radioisotopes to generate electricity on a small scale, typically in the nanowatt or microwatt range1,2. Contrary to chemical batteries, the longevity of a micronuclear battery is tied to the half-life of the used radioisotope, enabling operational lifetimes that can span several decades3. Furthermore, the radioactive decay remains unaffected by environmental factors such as temperature, pressure and magnetic fields, making the micronuclear battery an enduring and reliable power source in scenarios in which conventional batteries prove impractical or challenging to replace4. Common radioisotopes of americium (241Am and 243Am) are α-decay emitters with half-lives longer than hundreds of years. Severe self-adsorption in traditional architectures of micronuclear batteries impedes high-efficiency α-decay energy conversion, making the development of α-radioisotope micronuclear batteries challenging5,6. Here we propose a micronuclear battery architecture that includes a coalescent energy transducer by incorporating 243Am into a luminescent lanthanide coordination polymer. This couples radioisotopes with energy transducers at the molecular level, resulting in an 8,000-fold enhancement in energy conversion efficiency from α decay energy to sustained autoluminescence compared with that of conventional architectures. When implemented in conjunction with a photovoltaic cell that translates autoluminescence into electricity, a new type of radiophotovoltaic micronuclear battery with a total power conversion efficiency of 0.889% and a power per activity of 139 microwatts per curie (μW Ci−1) is obtained.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07933-9

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