CAREER: Transport and Stability in Biocatalytic Fuel Cells

职业：生物催化燃料电池的传输和稳定性

• 批准号: 0707375
• 负责人: Scott Calabrese-Barton
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Michigan State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-07-01 至 2008-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0707375&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Transport; Stability; Biocatalytic; Fuel

The mission of this CAREER program is (1) the creation of electrode structures that enhance the reactivity and stability of enzyme bioelectrocatalysts as implemented in high power-density biofuel cells, and (2) the integration of these and other fuel-cell devices into a broad spectrum of education and outreach to promote concepts of engineering product design and new energy systems in communities, schools, and universities. Biocatalytic fuel cell technology has the potential to provide electrical power in conditions where conventional fuel cell and battery technologies fail. While key characteristics of redox enzymes, including selectivity and room temperature activity can be exploited in, for example, physiologically implantable fuel cells, implementation of current biofuel cells is hindered by low catalytic activity and low stability of biocatalytic electrodes. This program addresses both of these issues. The model system to be studied is an oxygen-reducing electrode comprised of porous carbon coated with a crosslinked electrostatic adduct of laccase, an oxygen-reducing enzyme, and an electron-conducting redox polymer hydrogel. Engineering the porous support and its interface with the mediator/enzyme hydrogel to maximize gel distribution will improve enzyme utilization and increase current density. Support structures with porosities near 95% and fiber diameter of order 1 micron or less, consisting of carbon nanotubes or electrospun carbon nanofibers, will be evaluated for impact on catalytic activity of the enzyme-hydrogel adduct. Gas-diffusion electrodes will be developed which take advantage of high-rate oxygen mass transfer in the gas phase to further increase electrode catalytic activity. The issue of stability will be addressed by encapsulation of the biocatalysts in porous silica or other metal oxide by means of sol-gel, aerogel, and wet gel processing. Through-film electron mediation will be enabled using carbon nanotubes and redox polymer mediators. Successful introduction of fuel cells to the marketplace depends on an available workforce of qualified scientists and engineers, and the acceptance of fuel cells by energy consumers. Moreover, the chemical engineering discipline as a whole is currently undergoing a transition from process-oriented design to design of chemical products, of which fuel cells are an excellent example. This CAREER program addresses these needs through educational activities emphasizing new energy systems and engineering product design. Educational programs will include (a) A community-based, hands-on after school program in Energy Systems for disadvantaged high-school students; (b) An enhanced introductory Chemical Engineering course for first-year engineering students presenting the concepts of product design through reverse-engineering and team-based design projects; (c) An advanced Electrochemical Energy Systems course for graduates and senior undergraduates; (d) Immersive research training for secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students. This program advances the knowledge and understanding of biofuel cell design while promoting training and learning of chemical product engineering in the context of energy systems.

这个职业计划的使命是（1）电极结构的创建，提高高功率密度生物燃料电池中实现的酶生物电催化剂的反应性和稳定性，以及（2）将这些和其他燃料电池设备整合到广泛的教育和推广中，以促进社区，学校和大学的工程产品设计和新能源系统的概念。生物催化燃料电池技术具有在常规燃料电池和电池技术失效的条件下提供电力的潜力。 虽然氧化还原酶的关键特性（包括选择性和室温活性）可以用于例如生理学上可植入的燃料电池中，但是当前生物燃料电池的实施受到生物催化电极的低催化活性和低稳定性的阻碍。 该方案解决了这两个问题。 待研究的模型系统是由涂覆有漆酶、氧还原酶和电子传导氧化还原聚合物水凝胶的交联静电加合物的多孔碳组成的氧还原电极。 工程化多孔载体及其与介体/酶水凝胶的界面以使凝胶分布最大化将改善酶利用率并增加电流密度。 将评估由碳纳米管或电纺碳纳米纤维组成的孔隙率接近95%且纤维直径为1微米或更小的支撑结构对酶-水凝胶加合物的催化活性的影响。将开发气体扩散电极，其利用气相中的高速率氧传质来进一步提高电极催化活性。 稳定性的问题将通过利用溶胶-凝胶、气凝胶和湿凝胶处理将生物催化剂包封在多孔二氧化硅或其他金属氧化物中来解决。 将使用碳纳米管和氧化还原聚合物介体来实现薄膜电子介导。成功地将燃料电池引入市场取决于合格的科学家和工程师的可用劳动力，以及能源消费者对燃料电池的接受。此外，化学工程学科作为一个整体，目前正在经历从面向过程的设计到化学产品的设计，其中燃料电池是一个很好的例子。该职业计划通过强调新能源系统和工程产品设计的教育活动来满足这些需求。 教育方案将包括：（a）为处境不利的高中生提供一个以社区为基础的能源系统课后实践方案;（B）为工程专业一年级学生提供一个强化的化学工程入门课程，通过逆向工程和团队设计项目介绍产品设计概念;（c）为研究生和高年级本科生提供一个先进的电化学能源系统课程;（d）对中学、大学生和研究生进行沉浸式研究培训。 该计划促进了生物燃料电池设计的知识和理解，同时促进了能源系统背景下化学产品工程的培训和学习。