we've seen scientists looking for alternative materials for making batteries for a long time now. As we increasingly rely on batteries to power the things we use from our gadgets to our cars and more, the importance of batteries being made from the most sustainable, easily accessible materials possible has grown.
A team of researchers at University of Maryland has tackled this issue by discovering one of the simplest possible ways to make a battery: find a leaf, bake it and add sodium. Well, at least the anode of a battery.
"Leaves are so abundant. All we had to do was pick one up off the ground here on campus," said Hongbian Li, a visiting professor in the department of materials science and engineering in UMD’s A. James Clark School of Engineering.