Researchers have found an eco-friendly alternative to the metal ores currently favored in the electrodes of lithium-ion batteries.

The new non-toxic and sustainable battery uses purpurin, a red/yellow dye extracted from the root of the madder plant that has been used for dying cloth for at least 3,500 years – meaning the substance can simply be grown rather than mined.

(READ the story in Gizmag.com)