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Hydrophobic Salt-modified Nafion for Enzyme Immobilization and Stabilization
Published on: July 11, 2012
Enzymatic biofuel cell based on anode and cathode powered by ethanol
Arunas Ramanavicius1, Asta Kausaite, Almira Ramanaviciene
1Center of Nanotechnology and Material Science, Faculty of Chemistry, Vilnius University, Naugarduko 24, 03225 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Abstract:
Enzymatic biofuel cell based on enzyme modified anode and cathode electrodes are both powered by ethanol and operate at ambient temperature is described. The anode of the presented biofuel cell was based on immobilized quino-hemoprotein-alcohol dehydrogenase (QH-ADH), while the cathode on co-immobilized alcohol oxidase (AOx) and microperoxidase (MP-8). Two enzymes AOx and MP-8 acted in the consecutive mode and were applied in the design of the biofuel cell cathode. The ability of QH-ADH to transfer electrons directly towards the carbon-based electrode and the ability of MP-8 to accept electrons directly from the same type of electrodes was exploited in this biofuel cell design. Direct electron transfer (DET) to/from enzymes was the basis for generating an electric potential between the anode and cathode. Application of immobilized enzymes and the harvesting of the same type of fuel at both electrodes (cathode and anode) avoided the compartmentization of enzymatic biofuel cell. The maximal open circuit potential of the biofuel cell was 240mV.
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