Recent developments in high surface area bioelectrodes for enzymatic fuel cells

Enzymatic fuel cells (EFC) function in a way similar to low temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) but use enzymes instead of noble metals as catalysts for fuel and oxidant transformation. The need for EFCs that deliver enhanced power has resulted in high surface/volume ratio conductive materials being considered as enzyme host matrices. While the enhanced surface has effectively led to higher catalytic currents, the use of high surface area nanomaterials (HSM) has also induced new issues related to the wiring of enzymes, the role of porosity, and the effect on stability. This review discusses the most important features reported in this area over the past three years, and proposes future directions concerning EFC applications.