Biological Fuel Cells - Isis Project No 3123

An environmentally friendly and economical fuel cell technology employing enzymatic catalysts.

Problem

The most commonly used electrocatalyst in fuel cells is platinum. Platinum is very efficient at oxidising hydrogen and enabling high currents to be produced in a fuel cell. The major disadvantage is that platinum is expensive and its availability is limited, making fuel cells an expensive method of energy production.

Platinum is also poisoned by carbon monoxide (CO) impurities that are often found in industrially produced hydrogen. Removal of CO adds to the cost of the fuel cell system.

Background

Fuel cells do not rely on the combustion of a fuel source, they run quietly and efficiently from renewable fuel sources. For a hydrogen fuel cell, the raw materials used are oxygen and hydrogen and the waste product is water vapour. A Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) cell can convert up to 60% of chemical energy in to usable energy.

Alternative enzyme systems have been considered but it has been shown that electron flow is too slow to make a viable fuel cell. It is difficult for enzymes to attain direct electrical contact with the electrodes of the cell and catalyse reactions effectively.

The Oxford Invention

Researchers at Oxford have developed a new coated graphite electrode. Laccase electrodes made with the coating have double the active lifetime of the best previous literature reports, together with excellent activity.  The coating provides a stable point of attachment for the laccase enzyme, and delivers electrons efficiently from the graphite electrode right into the heart of the enzyme where they are needed. This improvement in stability and activity is a key step towards realising commercially viable enzyme fuel cells.

For further reading, see Chem. Commun., 2007, 1710-1712

Patent Status

This work is the subject of a patent application, and Isis would like to talk to companies interested in developing the commercial opportunity that this represents. Please contact the Isis Project Manager to discuss this further.

Request Further Information: Project Number 3123 - Biological Fuel Cells