An improved glucose/O2 membrane-less biofuel cell through glucose oxidase purification

Area of Science:

• Bioelectrochemical Systems
• Biosensor Technology
• Enzyme Catalysis

Background:

• Improving current densities and mass transport is crucial for bioelectrochemical systems.
• Research often focuses on electrode surface area and enzyme-electrode electron transfer.
• The impact of enzyme purity on biosensor efficiency remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of enzyme purity on biosensor efficiency.
• To compare the performance of purified and non-purified glucose oxidase (GOx).
• To optimize miniature membrane-less biofuel cells.

Main Methods:

• Studied commercial Glucose Oxidase (GOx) from Aspergillus niger.
• Compared purified GOx with non-purified lyophilized powder.
• Developed a bioelectrocatalyst using purified GOx immobilized on an electrode surface.
• Fabricated and tested a miniature implantable membrane-less glucose-O(2) biofuel cell.

Main Results:

• Non-purified GOx's additional compounds hindered enzyme-electrode electron transfer.
• Purified GOx improved interaction with the redox polymer, forming a homogenous gel.
• A three-fold increase in current was observed with purified GOx at 5mM glucose under oxygen.
• The biofuel cell with purified GOx produced twice the power density compared to non-purified GOx.

Conclusions:

• Enzyme purity is a critical factor for efficient bioelectrochemical systems.
• Purified GOx enhances electron transfer and bioelectrocatalyst performance.
• Utilizing purified GOx significantly improves the power output of miniature implantable biofuel cells.