Journal
CHEMPHYSCHEM
Volume 13, Issue 2, Pages 463-468Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201100865
Keywords
bacteria; cytochromes; electrochemistry; redox chemistry; supercapacitors
Funding
- Office of Naval Research [AN00014-10-1-0084]
- office of Science (BER), US Department of Energy [DE-SC0004114, DE-FC02-02ER63446]
- NSF Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing [CMMI-1025020]
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) [DE-SC0004114] Funding Source: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
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Supercapacitors have attracted interest in energy storage because they have the potential to complement or replace batteries. Here, we report that c-type cytochromes, naturally immersed in a living, electrically conductive microbial biofilm, greatly enhance the device capacitance by over two orders of magnitude. We employ genetic engineering, protein unfolding and Nernstian modeling for in vivo demonstration of charge storage capacity of c-type cytochromes and perform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and chargedischarge cycling to confirm the pseudocapacitive, redox nature of biofilm capacitance. The biofilms also show low self-discharge and good charge/discharge reversibility. The superior electrochemical performance of the biofilm is related to its high abundance of cytochromes, providing large electron storage capacity, its nanostructured network with metallic-like conductivity, and its porous architecture with hydrous nature, offering prospects for future low cost and environmentally sustainable energy storage devices.
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