Preparation of cell-based electron-generator

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The biological and electrochemical properties of redox phospholipid polymer hydrogel containing electron-generating bacterium(Shewanella oneidensis MR-1) were investigated herein to understand a fundamental knowledge of materials for developing a microbial fuel cell. A water-soluble and amphiphilic phospholipid polymer, poly[ 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-co-n-butyl methacrylate-co-p-vinylphenylboronic acid-co-vinylferrocene](PMBVF), used as one of the components of a hydrogel matrix for encapsulation of bacteria and an electron transfer mediator, was synthesized. The hydrogel was formed spontaneously and encapsulated shewanella three-dimensionally when an aqueous solution of PMBVF suspended with the bacterium and an aqueous solution of poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) were gently mixed together. Viability evaluation demonstrated that the shewanella encapsulated in the PMBVF/PVA hydrogel maintained high viability levels even after long-term storage and the shewanella made good metabolism. The amperometric measurement showed that the PMBVF/PVA hydrogel could maintain the electron transfer efficiency even when shewanella was encapsulated. Thus, the PMBVF/PVA hydrogel not only provided a mild environment for long-term bacterial survival but also maintained the electron transfer efficiency from the shewanella to the electrode. We concluded that the hydrogel/bacteria hybrid biomaterials, such as PMBVN/PVA/shewanella, have promising application to fabricate living cell-based or bacterium-based biodevices.