Biohybrid Conjugated Polymer Materials for Augmenting Energy Conversion of Bioelectrochemical Systems

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) provide favorable opportunities for the sustainable conversion of energy from biological metabolism. Biological photovoltaics (BPVs) and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) respectively realize the conversion of renewable solar energy and bioenergy into electrical energy by utilizing electroactive biological extracellular electron transfer, however, along with this energy conversion progress, relatively poor durability and low output performance are challenges as well as opportunities. Advances in improving bio-electrode interface compatibility will help to solve the problem of insufficient performance and further have a far-reaching impact on the development of bioelectronics. Conjugated polymers (CPs) with specific optical and electrical properties (absorption and emission spectra, energy band structure and electrical conductivity) afforded by π-conjugated backbones are conducive to enhancing the electron generation and output capacity of electroactive organisms. Furthermore, the water solubility, functionality, biocompatibility and mechanical properties optimized through appropriate modification of side chain provide a more adaptive contact interface between biomaterials and electrodes. In this minireview, we summarize the prominent contributions of CPs in the aspect of augmenting the photovoltaic response of BPVs and power supply of MFCs, and specifically discussed the role of CPs with expectation to provide inspirations for the design of bioelectronic devices in the future.