Could your next device run on a nuclear battery?

A phone or a car powered by a nuclear battery could last decades or even longer without charging.

“We can put safe nuclear energy into devices the size of a finger,” said Su-Il In, a professor at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology in South Korea, discussing his research into next-generation batteries.

His study shows that nuclear energy can be safely harnessed on a tiny scale – small enough to fit in a smartphone battery – challenging the idea that it only belongs in massive, remote power plants.

His research team is exploring radiocarbon as a source of safe, small, and affordable nuclear batteries that could replace the lithium-ion batteries currently used in consumer electronics and electric vehicles.

Lithium-ion batteries typically last only hours or days between charges and degrade over time, requiring more frequent charging as they age. In fields that rely on drones or remote-sensing equipment, this isn’t just inconvenient – it can be a serious limitation.

Mining lithium is also energy-intensive, and improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries risks contaminating ecosystems, raising concerns about their long-term environmental impact.

The world is becoming increasingly power-hungry, with a growing number of connected devices, data centers, and other computing technologies driving up the demand for long-lasting batteries. However, the performance of lithium batteries "is almost saturated," according to In.

Meanwhile, nuclear batteries could, in theory, last for millennia. A prototype developed by researchers uses an unstable, radioactive form of carbon – radiocarbon – that degrades very slowly over time.

Radiocarbon is also a byproduct of nuclear power plants, making it inexpensive, widely available, and relatively easy to recycle.

Nuclear batteries generate power by harnessing high-energy particles emitted by radioactive materials. Researchers chose radiocarbon because it emits only beta rays, which can be shielded with a thin sheet of aluminum, making betavoltaics a potentially safe choice for nuclear batteries.

While the concept isn’t new, the design developed by In and his team has achieved significantly higher energy conversion efficiency, according to the study.

However, the design still converted only a small fraction of radioactive decay into electrical energy, resulting in lower performance compared to conventional lithium batteries, the study noted – highlighting the need for further improvements.