A 1.5 microL microbial fuel cell for on-chip bioelectricity generation.
We have developed a dual-chamber microfluidic microbial fuel cell (MFC) system that allows on-chip bacterial culture and conversion of bacterial metabolism into electricity. The micro-MFC contains a vertically stacked 1.5 microL anode chamber and 4 microL cathode chamber, and represents the smallest MFC device to our knowledge. Microfluidic deliveries of growth medium and catholyte were achieved in separate flow channels without cross-channel mass exchange. After inoculation of electrogenic Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1, current generation was observed on an external load for up to two weeks. Current production was repeatable with replenishment of organic substrates. A maximum current density of 1300 A/m(3) and power density of 15 W/m(3) were achieved. Electron microscopic studies confirmed large-scale, uniform biofilm growth on the gold anode, and suggested that the enhanced cell/anode interaction in the small volume may accelerate start-up. Our result demonstrates a versatile platform for studying the fundamental issues in MFCs on the micro-scale, and suggests the possibility of powering nanodevices using on-chip bioenergy.
Qian
Fang
F
Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, California NanoSystems Institute, and the Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5100, USA.
Baum
Mary
M
Gu
Qian
Q
Morse
Daniel E
DE
D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D005292:Ferricyanides; D006046:Gold; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D020592:Shewanella / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019354:Sodium Lactate; D013499:Surface Properties
D005292:Ferricyanides; C007931:hexacyanoferrate III; D006046:Gold; D019354:Sodium Lactate