Scientists in the UK have successfully created the worlds first carbon-14 diamond battery, which could power low-energy devices like satellite communication equipment for over 5,000 years.The battery is made of the radioactive isotope carbon-14, encased in a thin layer of synthetic diamond. As the carbon-14 decays it emits electrons. The diamond acts like a semiconductor, converting these electrons into electricity. Since carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,700 years, scientists expect the battery to last for millennia.The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the University of Bristol led the development, partly due to the formers work on fusion energy. However, the potential applications are wide-ranging.Diamond batteries could power pacemakers, hearing aids, watches, computer chips any low-power device in environments where frequent battery replacement isnt feasible.I WANT THE BEST DEALEngineers could also use the batteries to power the communication equipment of spacecraft like Voyager 1, the farthest human-made object in space. NASA launched the satellite in 1977 and it is still sending data back to Earth. However, its power is expected to last only until 2036.The computer aboard Voyager 1 is also nuclear-powered, except its battery uses the isotope Plutonium-238, which has a half-life of only 87.7 years. If equipped with a carbon-14 diamond battery, the probe could have communicated its findings back home for thousands of years.Voyager 1 is currently floating in space 15 billion miles away from Earth. Credit: NASA/JPL-CaltechDiamond batteries offer a safe, sustainable way to provide continuous microwatt levels of power, said the UKAEAs Sarah Clark.Shortwave radiation from the decaying carbon-14 doesnt pose a risk it is fully absorbed by the diamond casing, the researchers said. The battery can also be recycled at the end of its life if anyone is still around by then!The diamond part of the battery was grown at UKAEAs Culham Campus near Oxford, using a purpose-built plasma deposition rig. The carbon-14 was extracted from graphite blocks, a readily available byproduct of nuclear fission reactors.While still early days, Tom Scott, Materials Prof at the University of Bristol, said they were exploring industrial partnerships for potential commercialisation in the future.Scott led the team that began the first diamond battery experiments back in 2016. He even spun out a company, Arkenlight, off the back of this research.The decade ahead is about improving power performance and upscaling production, said Scott. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.