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Ionic liquid-assisted preparation of laccase-based biocathodes with improved biocompatibility
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, P R China.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
|April 14, 2012
Summary
Ionic liquid overcoating enhances laccase enzyme performance in biofuel cells by improving biocompatibility and suppressing interfering reactions. This strategy boosts power output and enables new biological applications for enzymatic biofuel cells.
Area of Science:
- Bioelectrochemistry
- Enzymatic Biofuel Cells (BFCs)
- Biocatalysis
Background:
- Laccase enzymes are crucial for biocathodes in BFCs but suffer from poor biocompatibility, including low activity in neutral media and sensitivity to chloride ions.
- Laccase-based biocathodes lack selectivity, leading to interference from ascorbic acid (AA), which reduces BFC power output and limits biological applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address limitations of laccase-based BFCs by improving biocompatibility and selectivity.
- To enhance the performance of laccase biocathodes using a hydrophobic room temperature ionic liquid.
Main Methods:
- Overcoating laccase-based biocathodes with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (Bmim(+)PF(6)(-)).
- Evaluating bioelectrocatalytic activity towards O(2) reduction in neutral media and tolerance to Cl(-).
- Assessing the suppression of ascorbic acid oxidation at the biocathode.
- Assembling an AA/O(2) BFC using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for enhanced electron transfer.
Main Results:
- Bmim(+)PF(6)(-) overcoating significantly improved laccase biocathode activity in neutral media and chloride tolerance.
- The ionic liquid coating effectively suppressed ascorbic acid oxidation, preventing power output decrease.
- An assembled BFC demonstrated an open circuit voltage of 0.73 V and a maximum power output of 24 μW cm(-2) with 0.50 mM AA.
Conclusions:
- Hydrophobic ionic liquid overcoating is an effective strategy to enhance laccase biocathode performance in BFCs.
- This approach improves biocompatibility, selectivity, and power output, paving the way for advanced enzymatic biofuel cell applications.
