High-performance hybrid biofuel cells using amphiphilic assembly based enzyme electrodes

Abstract

Biofuel cells, which convert chemical energy into electrical energy at mild temperature and over moderate pH ranges, have been considered some of the most promising candidates for powering biomedical devices. However, most biofuel cells provide low power output and short-term operational stability due to their poor electron transfer. To address these issues, we use a unique amphiphilic assembly method to generate hybrid biofuel cells with high power output and good operational stability. This approach can induce favorable interfacial interactions between electrocatalysts and significantly improve the electron transfer kinetics of electrodes. In this study, glucose oxidase (in aqueous media) is repeatedly assembled with hydrophobic metal nanoparticles (in nonpolar media) on a conductive textile. The formed biofuel cell exhibits remarkably high power output (7.3 mW cm−2) and good operational durability. We believe that our assembly approach can provide a basis for preparing a variety of high-performance bioelectrochemical devices, including biofuel cells.