A hybrid hydrogel separated biofuel cell with a novel enzymatic anode and glucose tolerant cathode

Abstract

Enzymatic biofuel cells offer a new avenue of eco-friendly energy generation which is highly essential to establish a sustainable energy infrastructure. Herein, a hybrid fuel cell using an immobilised enzyme-based anode, a hydrogel-based separator and a glucose tolerant catalyst based cathode has been fabricated and demonstrated. Multiwalled carbon nanotube-pyrene carboxylic acid (MWCNT–PCA) nanocomposite based anode has been used for the electrostatic immobilisation of glucose oxidase enzyme. Agar-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel is used as the separator which supplies the fuel cell with 500 mM glucose solution. Reduced graphene oxide-ceria (rGC) acts as the glucose tolerant non-enzymatic cathode catalyst. A sandwiched construction is used to fabricate the device with which an open circuit potential of 140 mV has been recorded with a peak power density of 6.25 μW/cm2 at 60 μA/cm2.