A team of scientists and engineers from two British institutions built the world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery that has the potential to deliver low amounts of power for thousands of years. According to the University of Bristol, the battery uses carbon-14 encased in a manufactured diamond to generate power. The radioactive decay of carbon-14, more popularly known for its use in radiocarbon dating, releases electrons, which are then captured by the diamond’s structure to produce voltage. The concept behind the device is similar to that of solar cells, but it uses the electrons released by the carbon-14 isotope instead of photons to make electricity.
Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,700 years, so a carbon-14 diamond battery could last just as long, if not longer. This makes it the perfect power source for devices where replacing batteries is inconvenient, impractical, or impossible. For example, they could power implants like pacemakers, reducing the need for the patient to visit their healthcare provider periodically to replace their battery.
