Supercapacitor/biofuel cell hybrid device employing biomolecules for energy conversion and charge storage

• We report on a hybrid bioelectrochemical system that integrates an energy converting part, viz. a glucose/oxygen enzymatic fuel cell, with a charge-storing component, in which the redox features of the immobilized redox protein cytochrome c (cyt c) were utilized. Bilirubin oxidase and pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (PQQ-GDH) were employed as the biocatalysts for dioxygen reduction and glucose oxidation, respectively. A bi-protein PQQ-GDH/cyt c signal chain was created that facilitates electron transfer between the enzyme and the electrode surface. The assembled supercapacitor/biofuel cell hybrid biodevice displays a 15 times higher power density tested in the pulse mode compared to the performance achieved from the continuously operating regime (4.5 and 0.3 μW cm −2 , respectively) with an 80% residual activity after 50 charge/discharge pulses. This can be considered as a notable step forward in the field of glucose/oxygen membrane-free, biocompatible hybrid power sources.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Industriell bioteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Industrial Biotechnology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Bilirubin oxidase

Cytochrome c

Enzymatic fuel cell

Glucose dehydrogenase

Hybrid bioelectrochemical system

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)