A highly flexible self-powered biosensor for glucose detection by epitaxial deposition of gold nanoparticles on conductive bacterial cellulose

Abstract

An Enzyme (glucose/O2) BioFuel Cell (EBFC) was developed using glucose oxidase (GOx)-based bioanode and a laccase (Lac)-based biocathode with carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (c-MWCNTs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-modified bacterial cellulose (BC) electrode as the substrate. The open circuit potential (OCP) of the EBFC was inhibited and later activated by the self-powered electrochemical device. The device not only provided high power density (345.14 µW cm−3), but also exhibited an unprecedented broad linear dynamic range from 0 to 50 mM with a lower detection limit of 2.874 μM for glucose concentrations in biological media. This result was attributed to a synergistic mechanism between the enzymes, c-MWCNTs, and AuNPs in which direct electron transfer (DET) was facilitated from the catalytic centers of enzymes to the electrode surface. The BC-based nanocomposites may have great promise as flexible electrodes in the field of self-powered biosensors.