Carnegie Mellon University

Young Jo Kim

Jay Whitacre

Christopher J Bettinger

An electrochemical cell includes an anode configured to produce multivalent cations during a discharge process, and a cathode comprising a catechol-bearing melanin. The cathode is configured to reversibly oxidize a catechol of the catechol-bearing melanin into a quinone by an extraction of the multivalent cation during a recharge process and reduce the quinone to the catechol by an insertion of the multivalent cation during the discharge process. The electrochemical cell includes an aqueous electrolyte solution in which the anode and the cathode are disposed, wherein the aqueous electrolyte solution is configured to transport the multivalent cations between the anode and the cathode.

Electrochemical cell with melanin electrode

In one aspect, an energy storage device comprises one or more organic electrodes comprising one or more melanin-based energy storage materials and cations, with the one or more melanin-based energy storage materials reversibly binding the cations while the biocompatible energy storage device is in an inactive state, and the one or more melanin-based energy storage materials releasing the cations to provide energy while the energy storage device is in an active state.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Young Jo Kim