A Tandem Solar Biofuel Cell: Harnessing Energy from Light and Biofuels
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Marc Riedel; Soraya Höfs; Adrian Ruff; Wolfgang Schuhmann; Fred Lisdat
- Source
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 60, 4, S. 2078-2083
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
- Subject
- energy harvesting
Materials science
biocatalysis
Photobioelectrochemistry
Photoelectrochemistry
Nanotechnology
010402 general chemistry
01 natural sciences
Redox
Catalysis
photoelectrochemistry
law.invention
law
Glucose dehydrogenase
Tandem
010405 organic chemistry
Open-circuit voltage
Communication
biofuel cells
General Medicine
General Chemistry
Communications
Cathode
0104 chemical sciences
Electricity generation
Biofuel
ddc:660
photocatalysis
- Language
- ISSN
- 1521-3773
1433-7851
We report on a photobioelectrochemical fuel cell consisting of a glucose‐oxidase‐modified BiFeO3 photobiocathode and a quantum‐dot‐sensitized inverse opal TiO2 photobioanode linked to FAD glucose dehydrogenase via a redox polymer. Both photobioelectrodes are driven by enzymatic glucose conversion. Whereas the photobioanode can collect electrons from sugar oxidation at rather low potential, the photobiocathode shows reduction currents at rather high potential. The electrodes can be arranged in a sandwich‐like manner due to the semi‐transparent nature of BiFeO3, which also guarantees a simultaneous excitation of the photobioanode when illuminated via the cathode side. This tandem cell can generate electricity under illumination and in the presence of glucose and provides an exceptionally high OCV of about 1 V. The developed semi‐artificial system has significant implications for the integration of biocatalysts in photoactive entities for bioenergetic purposes, and it opens up a new path toward generation of electricity from sunlight and (bio)fuels.
A photobioelectrochemical tandem cell is presented in which two photoelectrodes have been functionally coupled with two biocatalysts for supplying the light‐driven reaction with charge carriers from glucose conversion. The cell allows the generation of electricity from biofuels and light with a high open‐circuit voltage of 1 V.