Miniature direct electron transfer based sulphite/oxygen enzymatic fuel cells.

Abstract A direct electron transfer (DET) based sulphite/oxygen biofuel cell is reported that utilises human sulphite oxidase ( h SOx) and Myrothecium verrucaria bilirubin oxidase ( Mv BOx) and nanostructured gold electrodes. For bioanode construction, the nanostructured gold microelectrodes were further modified with 3,3′-dithiodipropionic acid di(N-hydroxysuccinimide ester) to which polyethylene imine was covalently attached. h SOx was adsorbed onto this chemically modified nanostructured electrode with high surface loading of electroactive enzyme and in presence of sulphite high anodic bioelectrocatalytic currents were generated with an onset potential of 0.05 V vs. NHE. The biocathode contained Mv BOx directly adsorbed to the deposited gold nanoparticles for cathodic oxygen reduction starting at 0.71 V vs. NHE. Both enzyme electrodes were integrated to a DET-type biofuel cell. Power densities of 8 and 1 μW cm −2 were achieved at 0.15 V and 0.45 V of cell voltages, respectively, with the membrane based biodevices under aerobic conditions.