Construction of efficient bioelectrochemical devices: Improved electricity production from cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbia sp.) based on pi-conjugated conducting polymer/gold nanoparticle composite interfaces
Cevik, Emre and Buyukharman, Mustafa and Yildiz, Huseyin Bekir
Loading
Abstract
In this study, gold electrodes (GE) were coated with conducting polymers
to obtain a high photocurrent using cyanobacteria from a novel
bioelectrochemical fuel cell. For this purpose,
4-(4H-ditiheno{[}3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyrol-4-yl) aniline and
5-(4H-dithieno{[}3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyrol-4-yl) napthtalane-1-amine monomers
were coated on GE by performing an electropolymerization process. After
that, gold nanoparticles (AuNP) were specifically modified by
2-mercaptoethane sulfonic acid and p-aminothiophenol too attach to the
electrode surface. The conducting polymers GE coat was modified with
functionalized AuNP using a cross-linker. The resulting electrode
structures were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and
chronoamperometry under on-off illumination using a fiber optic light
source. Cyanobacteria Leptolyngbia sp. was added to the GE/conducting
polymer/AuNP electrode surface and stabilized by using a cellulose
membrane. During the illumination, water was oxidized by the
photosynthesis, and oxygen was released. The released oxygen was
electrocatalytically reduced at the cathode surface and a 25 nA/cm(2)
photocurrent was observed in GE/Leptolyngbia sp. After the electrode
modifications, a significant improvement in the photocurrent up to 630
nA/cm(2) was achieved.... Show more Show less