Carbon Nanotubes Modified Carbon Cloth Cathode Electrode for Self-Pumping Enzymatic Biofuel Cell

Abstract

A self-pumping enzymatic biofuel cell (self-pumping EBC) with a new cathodic catalyst which was modified by coating the mixture of carbon nanotubes/caffeic acid (CNTs/CA) on a carbon cloth (CC) to form a CNTs/CA/CC cathode electrode was fabricated. By using UV spectrophotometer, the absorbance of CA, CNTs, and the CNTs/CA composite was observed. To evaluate how the CNTs/CA/CC cathodic electrode improves the electrochemical performance of the self-pumping EBC, the measurement of the redox reaction current peak by cyclic voltammetry (CV) was implemented. In accordance with CV measurement, the utilization of the modified CNTs/CA/CC cathodic electrode exhibited a higher oxygen reduction current peak at 319.1 A under the saturated oxygen. The anode and cathode flow rates were 0.416 ls −1 and 0.844 ls −1 which contribute to obtaining the capillary driven liquid efficiency as 30% for the former and 59% for the latter. Moreover, the self-pumping EBC performance tests showed that the maximum power density (MPD) of the self-pumping EBC with the modified cathodic electrode achieved 0.592 mWcm −2 which improved 10% in the performance compared with the bare CC electrode, 0.534 mWcm −2 .

Improving the Immobilization of Glucose Oxidase on Carbon Cloth Via a Hybrid Approach of Cross-Linked Chitosan/TPP Matrices with Na Polymers for High-Performance Self-Pumping Enzyme-Based Biofuel Cells

“…On the other hand, to circumvent the need for the extra power supply and space in the lightweight and portable cell, 12,44−48 a so-called self-pumping design of a flow plate channel and an end plate that allows the fuels to automatically flow by capillary force is utilized to evaluate the performance of a series of synthesized biocatalysts. 49,50 Our study result indicates that the self-pumping EBFC utilizing GOx[CS/TPP/ Na]CC can deliver the highest peak power density (1.077 mW cm −2 ) as compared with that utilizing GOx[CS/TPP]CC (0.776 mW cm −2 ) and GOx[CS/Na]CC (0.682 mW cm −2 ). In addition, the self-pumping EBFC utilizing GOx[CS/TPP/ Na]CC can retain 89.2% of its beginning performance even after 240 h of stable testing.…”