SBIR Phase II: High-Power and High-Energy-Density Enzymatic Fuel Cell through an In Vitro Synthetic Enzymatic Pathway

这个小型企业创新研究二期项目寻求进一步开发无金属酶燃料电池（EFCs），这种电池可以完全氧化糖（麦芽糖糊精）以产生电力。作为下一代环境友好型生物电池，糖动力EFCs受到了越来越多的关注。这些生物电池是完全可生物降解的，无毒的，并且易于重新填充，被设想为下一代绿色能源，特别是便携式电子设备（例如，智能手机，便携式电脑，平板电脑和GPS系统等）。这些以糖为动力的EFCs以20%的麦芽糖糊精为原料，利用专有的合成糖氧化酶催化剂混合物，储能密度约为800 Ah/kg，几乎是锂电池的20倍。该项目的技术目标如下：(i)进一步提高其功率密度至10 mW/cm2， （ii）将其寿命延长至数月，以及（iii）开发具有商业成本竞争力的产品。在糖生物电池中使用低成本的化学成分以及工程氧化还原酶，可以增加其功率输出，延长其使用寿命，并降低其生产成本。在SBIR II项目中，Cell Free Bioinnovations Inc.将集成合成生物学、蛋白质工程、纳米生物技术和电化学技术，制造可直接为智能手机充电的高能量密度充电宝原型。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是展示生物启发糖动力生物电池的原型，该电池具有高能量存储密度（例如，每公斤20%糖溶液800 Ah电力，几乎是锂离子电池的20倍），通过添加糖溶液快速充电，无毒，操作和使用安全。因为以糖为动力的EFCs基于低成本的生物催化剂，不需要昂贵或稀有的金属，所以它们是一次性的和可生物降解的设备。高能存储密度EFCs将具有广泛的潜在应用，如可充电电池充电器（例如，户外使用的移动电话充电器或便携式军事设备）、教育玩具套件和一次性（初级）电池。在未来，糖驱动的EFCs可能会取代一些二次（可充电）电池和一次电池。此外，配备这种无细胞合成途径的EFCs的创新将极大地促进由合成酶途径组成的无细胞生物制造的概念。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project seeks the further development of metal-free enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) that can completely oxidize sugar (maltodextrin) to yield electricity. Sugar-powered EFCs have received increasing interest as next-generation, environmentally friendly bio-batteries. These bio-batteries, which will be fully biodegradable, non toxic, and easily refillable, are envisioned as next-generation green power sources, particularly for portable electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, portable computers, tablets, and GPS systems to name a few). These Sugar-powered EFCs with a feed of 20% maltodextrin utilizing a proprietary synthetic cocktail of enzyme catalysts for sugar oxidation, have an energy storage density of approximately 800 Ah/kg, nearly 20-times that of lithium batteries. The technical objectives of this project are the following: (i) to further increase their power density to 10 mW/cm2, (ii) to prolong their lifetimes to months, and (iii) to develop a commercial cost competitive product. The use of a low-cost chemical ingredient along with the use of engineered redox enzymes in sugar biobatteries, could increase their power output, prolong their lifetime, and decrease their production cost. In this SBIR II project, Cell Free Bioinnovations Inc. will make prototype high energy density power banks that could charge smartphones directly by integrating synthetic biology, protein engineering, nanobiotechnology, and electrochemistry.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the demonstration of the prototype bio-inspired sugar-powered biobatteries featuring high-energy storage density (e.g., 800 Ah electricity/kg of 20% sugar solution, nearly twenty times that of lithium ion batteries), fast refilling by the addition of a sugar solution, non toxic and safe to handle and use. Because sugar-powered EFCs are based on low-cost biocatalysts and do not require costly or rare metals, they are disposable and biodegradable devices. High-energy storage density EFCs would have broad potential applications as rechargeable battery chargers (e.g., cellular phone chargers for outdoor use or for portable military devices), educational toy kits, and disposable (primary) batteries. In the future, sugar-powered EFCs could potentially replace some secondary (rechargeable) batteries and primary batteries. In addition, the innovation of EFCs equipped with this cell-free synthetic pathway would greatly promote the concept of cell-free biomanufacturing composed of synthetic enzymatic pathways.