Biofuel cell can match the performance of platinum

Researchers in Germany have developed an enzyme-based biofuel cell that can match the performances of fuel cells made using platinum.

Described in Nature Communications, the biofuel cell uses the enzyme hydrogenase as a catalyst in place of the precious metal. However, enzymes must be stored in an aqueous environment, making it a challenge for the hydrogen fuel to reach the enzyme-loaded electrode. The researchers, primarily from the Centre for Electrochemical Sciences at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, overcame this using a novel system for packaging the enzymes with gas diffusion electrode technology.

Gas diffusion electrodes can efficiently transport gaseous raw materials for a chemical reaction to the electrode surface with the catalyst. They have already been tested in various systems, but in configurations where the catalyst was electrically wired directly to the electrode surface.