Bio-fuel cell

A large number of possible applications of arrays of nanoparticles on solid surfaces is reviewed in Refs. [23,24]. They include, for example, development of new (elect-ro)catalytical systems for applications as chemical sensors, biosensors or (bio)fuel cells, preparation of optical biosensors exploiting localized plasmonic effect or surface enhanced Raman scattering, development of single electron devices and electroluminescent structures and many other applications. 

Yahiro AT, Lee SM, Kimble DO. 1964. Bioelectrochemistry. I. Enzyme utilizing bio-fuel cell studies. Biochim Biophys Acta 88 375-383. 

We stress again here that in the actual state of the art, the EM of organic pollutants with simultaneous production of electrical energy (fuel cell regime) is not feasible due to the lack of active electrocatalytic anode material. Bio-electrocatalysis is a new active field and can overcome this problem as it has been demonstrated recently in the development of bio-fuel cells. 

Enzymes have been considered in bio fuel cells as anode electrocatalysts since their use avoids the problem of poisoning the anode with carbon monoxide present in reforming gas, allowing the use of cheap hydrogen-containing fuels such as methanol. Even though enzymatic fuel cells have been reported to have power output and stability limitations, some of them are currently being used to produce electricity to power small electrical devices with power demands in the order of micro- and milh- Watts as power output limitations are overcome. 

Yagishita, T., Sawayama, S., Tsukahara, K., Ogi, T. (1996). Photosynthetic bio-fuel cells using cyanobacteria. In "Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and the Environment World Renewable Energy Congress", vol. II, pp. 958-961. Pergamon, Elmsford, NJ. 

Enzyme utilizing bio-fuel cell smdies. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 88 (2), 375-383. 

Chandra, B., Race, J.T., Sun, Y., Barton, S.C., and Hone, J. (2007) Growth of carbon nanombes on carbon Toray paper for bio-fuel cell applications. 

Wang SC, Yang F, Silva M, Zarow A, Wang Y, Iqbal Z (2009) Membrane-less and mediator-free enzymatic bio fuel cell using carbon nanotube/porous silicon electrodes. Electrochem Commun 11 34-37... 

Kannan AM, Renugopalakrishnan V, Filipek S, Li P, Audette GF, Munukutla L. Bio-batteries and bio-fuel cells leveraging on electronic charge transfer proteins. J Nanosci Nanotechnol 2009 9 1665-1678. 

Osman MH, Shah AA, Walsh FC. Recent progress and continuing challenges in bio-fuel cells. Part II Microbial. Biosens Bioelectron 2010 26 953-963. 

Ishikawa, M., Yamamura, S., Takamura, Y., Sode, K., Tamiya, E. and Tomiyama, M. (2006) Development of a compact high-density microbial hydrogen generator for portable bio-fuel cell system. Int. J. Hydrogen Energ., 31, 1484—1489. 

Atanassov P, Colon F, Rajendran V. Glucose-air enzymatic bio-fuel cell. ACS National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 2004, COLL-207. 

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