Improvement of capacity of biofuel cells by multiplying enzymatic reactions

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K14715
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied biochemistry
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Mikawa Tsutomu 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命システム研究センター, 専任研究員 (20321820)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: バイオ燃料電池 / バイオ電池 / 酵素利用学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Enzymatic bio-fuel cells, which employ enzymes as catalysts, generate electricity when enzymes oxidize sugars such as glucose. Conventional bio-fuel cells oxidized glucose to extract two electrons and did not use the remaining gluconic acid. In this study, we obtained enzymes that oxidize gluconic acid, and made bio-fuel cells which have multi-step enzymatic reactions. As a result, we succeeded in doubling the capacity of bio-fuel cells.

Free Research Field

生化学