Biological Assembly of Enzyme Electrodes for Biofuel Cells

1033672黄智价值生物燃料电池为电力生产提供了一种环保、可持续的方法。然而，迄今为止达到的低功率密度限制了它们的适用性。这项拟议的研究旨在通过在燃料电池电极上控制酶催化剂的组装来提高生物燃料电池的功率密度。为了实现这一目标，拟议的研究试图改善氧化还原蛋白和导电载体之间的电接触，并创建旨在实现更高功率输出的电极结构。组装过程是分层次的，纳米尺寸的蛋白质被模板化成近微米大小的病毒，然后自组装成宏观电极结构。模型系统将重点放在可再生原料葡萄糖上，作为发电的燃料来源。该研究计划有两个主要目标。第一个目标是创造病毒模板酶电极，其基础是将具有无机成分的酶组装成一个完整的结构。异功能M13病毒通过选择性的多肽结合将葡萄糖氧化酶偶联到金纳米线上，实现葡萄糖氧化酶氧化还原中心和电极之间的电子传递。提出了三种酶电极结构，以克服在氧化还原蛋白和导电载体之间建立电接触所经历的限制。第二个目标是利用M13病毒的液晶特性将这些模板化的酶电极结构自组装成坚固的电极结构。这种方法寻求获得至少10微米厚的电极，这些电极密集地填充着酶，但具有可控的孔隙率，以便于电解液的可获得性。将评估这种电极设计通过增加电线酶的密度和确保燃料可接近电极来实现更高水平功率密度的潜力。广泛影响教育和推广计划基于拟议的研究活动。本科生和研究生将接受生物工程、电化学和纳米材料方面的跨学科培训。来自代表性不足群体的本科生将通过加州大学洛杉矶分校(UCLA)现有的项目招募，以参与拟议的研究。与加州纳米系统研究所(CNSI)合作，将为高中教师开发生物燃料电池套件和教学视频，作为将可再生能源主题纳入洛杉矶联合学区高中科学课程的一种方式。

1033672HuangIntellectual MeritBiofuel cells provide an environmentally benign, sustainable method for electricity production. However, the low power densities achieved to date limit their applicability. This proposed research seeks to improve the power density of biological fuel cells through controlled assembly of enzyme catalysts onto the fuel cell electrode. To achieve this goal, the proposed research seeks to improve electrical contact between the redox proteins and the conductive support, and to create electrode architectures which are designed to achieve higher power output. The assembly process is hierarchical, where proteins of nanometer dimensions are templated into viruses of nearly micron size which then self-assemble into macroscopic electrode structures. The model system will focus on glucose, a renewable feedstock, as the fuel source for electricity production. The research plan has two major objectives. The first objective is to create virus-templated enzyme electrodes which are based on assembling enzymes with inorganic constituents into an integrated structure. The heterofunctional M13 virus is designed to couple glucose oxidase to a gold nanowire through selective peptide binding to achieve mediated electron transfer between the redox center of the glucose oxidase and the electrode. The three enzyme electrode structures are proposed to overcome the limitations experienced in establishing electrical contact between the redox protein and the conductive support. The second objective is to use the liquid crystal nature of the M13 virus to self-assemble these templated enzyme electrode structures into robust electrode architectures. This approach seeks to obtain electrodes of least 10 micron thickness that are densely packed with enzymes but possess controlled porosity for electrolyte accessibility. The potential of this electrode design to achieve higher levels of power density by increasing the density of electrically-wired enzymes and ensuring accessibility of the fuel to the electrode will be assessed.Broader ImpactsThe education and outreach plan is based on the proposed research activities. Undergraduate and graduate students will receive cross-disciplinary training in bioengineering, electrochemistry, and nanomaterials. Undergraduate students from underrepresented groups will be recruited through existing programs at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) to participate in the proposed research. In collaboration with California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), biofuel cell kits and instructional videos will be developed for high school teachers as a way of bringing renewable energy topics to the high school science curriculum of the Los Angeles Unified School District.