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Energies 2014, 7(1), 1-12; doi:10.3390/en7010001

Article

Evaluation of Biofuel Cells with Hemoglobin as Cathodic Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Peroxide Reduction on Bare Indium-Tin-Oxide Electrodes

Yusuke Ayato ^† and Naoki Matsuda *

Measurement Solution Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 807-1 Shukumachi, Tosu, Saga 841-0052, Japan ^† Current address: Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Materials and Chemical Engineering, Shinshu University, 3-15-1 Tokida, Ueda, Nagano 386-8567, Japan.

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 1 November 2013; in revised form: 9 December 2013 / Accepted: 13 December 2013 / Published: 20 December 2013

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass and Biofuels 2013)

Download PDF Full-Text [967 KB, uploaded 20 December 2013 14:55 CET]

Abstract: A biofuel cell (BFC) cathode has been developed based on direct electron transfer (DET) of hemoglobin (Hb) molecules with an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) electrode and their electrocatalysis for reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). In this study, the ITO-coated glass plates or porous glasses were prepared by using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and examined the electrochemical characteristics of the formed ITO in pH 7.4 of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solutions containing and not containing Hb. In half-cell measurements, the reduction current of H₂O₂ due to the electrocatalytic activity of Hb increased with decreasing electrode potential from around 0.1 V versus Ag|AgCl|KCl(satd.) in the PBS solution. The practical open-circuit voltage (OCV) on BFCs utilizing H₂O₂ reduction at the Hb-ITO cathode with a hydrogen (H₂) oxidation anode at a platinum (Pt) electrode was expected to be at least 0.74 V from the theoretical H₂ oxidation potential of −0.64 V versus Ag|AgCl|KCl(satd.) in pH 7.4. The assembled single cell using the ITO-coated glass plate showed the OCV of 0.72 V and the maximum power density of 3.1 µW cm⁻². The maximum power per single cell was recorded at 21.5 µW by using the ITO-coated porous glass.

Keywords: biofuel cell; hemoglobin; indium-tin-oxide electrode; hydrogen peroxide

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