Egg White─a Polymer Gel Electrolyte with Exceptionally High Ionic Conductivity

Abstract

A considerable amount of research is currently focusing on mitigating the adverse impact of current energy storing electrolytes on both environment and human health, targeting the development of alternative, biologically friendly materials. In this regard, we propose a mechanically free-standing electrolyte derived simply from hen egg white. The present study reveals that the conductivity of the temperature-induced gel-like, mechanically stable structure of this biological material is truly remarkable, varying between 1 and 10 mS/cm at room temperature. Our conductivity and nuclear magnetic resonance results demonstrate that a solid ionic conductor, with a conductivity significantly higher than those displayed by many inorganic and organic electrolytes, can be attained from a cheap, green, biological source which could serve as a landmark template for future bioinspired electronics.