A new study from the University of Maryland reports that trees can offer a truly green battery. Researchers are using thin slices of wood, a thousand times thinner than a piece of paper actually, to create rechargable batteries. Once coated with sodium, these environmentally friendly batteries may prove to be the ultimate rechargable solution.

Liangbing Lu, an assistant professor of materials science explains, “The inspiration behind the idea comes from the trees. Wood fibers that make up a tree once held mineral-rich water, and  so are ideal for storing liquid electrolytes, making them not only the base but an active part of the battery.”

Wood-based batteries can expand and contract with multiple charging cycles without being brittle and leave behind no toxic waste when the batteries is exhausted. Is this the greatest thing since sliced bread, or what?!

Reference: Hongli Zhu, Zheng Jia, Yuchen Chen, Nicholas Weadock, Jiayu Wan, Oeyvind Vaaland, Xiaogang Han, Teng Li, Liangbing Hu. Tin Anode for Sodium-Ion Batteries Using Natural Wood Fiber as a Mechanical Buffer and Electrolyte Reservoir. Nano Letters, 2013; : 130618094632004 DOI: 10.1021/nl400998t

Trees are the next batteries. Their leaves were already were the original solar panels. What’s next?!