Single Glucose Biofuel Cells Implanted in Rats Power Electronic Devices

Abstract

We describe the first implanted glucose biofuel cell (GBFC) that is capable of generating sufficient power from a mammal's body fluids to act as the sole power source for electronic devices. This GBFC is based on carbon nanotube/enzyme electrodes, which utilize glucose oxidase for glucose oxidation and laccase for dioxygen reduction. The GBFC, implanted in the abdominal cavity of a rat, produces an average open-circuit voltage of 0.57 V. This implanted GBFC delivered a power output of 38.7 μW, which corresponded to a power density of 193.5 μW cm−2 and a volumetric power of 161 μW mL−1. We demonstrate that one single implanted enzymatic GBFC can power a light-emitting diode (LED), or a digital thermometer. In addition, no signs of rejection or inflammation were observed after 110 days implantation in the rat.

Power Harvesting from Human Serum in Buckypaper-Based Enzymatic Biofuel Cell

“…Then, more sturdily constructed biofuel cell prototype was partially (anode compartment only) implanted in rabbit ear (Miyake et al, 2011), which was reflected in the maximum cell current (1.50 μA), whereas the power of this cell reached 0.42 μW at 0.56 V and in brain of a living rat with a maximum power of 2 μW cm −2 at a cell voltage of 0.4 V (Andoralov et al, 2013). Later, with the recent improvements in terms of carbon nanotube (CNT) compression and direct electron transfer, researchers were successful to increase the power (38.7 μW) obtained from the implanted biofuel cell in a rat, using a specially designed electronic circuit to charge a capacitor, to run a LED, or a digital thermometer (Zebda et al, 2013). Recently, researchers reported a glucose/oxygen biofuel cell using FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenase enzyme at the anode side operating in human serum, which produces maximum power densities of 39.5 ± 1.3 and 57.5 ± 5.4 μW cm −2 for EFCs at 21 and 37°C, respectively (Milton et al, 2015).…”

Miniature Direct Electron Transfer Based Enzymatic Fuel Cell Operating in Human Sweat and Saliva

“…More efficient glucose oxidizing bioanodes have been reported, e.g. based on mediators [6], although the design employed in this study allows for a simple design without potentially toxic mediators and ensures a low onset potential for the oxidation of glucose. The voltage of the EFC is important, since most modern semiconductor based transistors require a voltage of at least 0.5 V for proper performance [27], although devices exist that can operate at very low voltage [28].…”

Stretchable Biofuel Cells with Silver Nanowiring on a Polydimethylsiloxane Substrate

“…This is because they work under mild conditions (room temperature, neutral pH and atmospheric pressure), which make them amenable to use in the human body [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. However, when these devices are used in the human body, the flexibility and stretchability of biofuel cells are among their most important features.…”