Biofuel cells Based on the Immobilization of Photosynthetically Active Bioentities

Natural photosynthesis is a highly efficient process that uses sunlight irradiation to convert carbon dioxide into value-added biomass. This review summarizes the recent advances in the transformation of solar energy into electrical power through the exploitation of photosynthetically active proteins, organelles, and living cells. During the past decade, the considerable progress made in bioentities immobilization offers the possibility to integrate biological systems into electronic devices. Even though solar energy technologies are gaining increasing attention, photosynthetic biofuel cells are still in their infancy. Advances in materials science are necessary to protect, stabilize, and even increase the catalytic performance of bioentities. Moreover, host materials could guarantee higher loading and better electrical charge transport, which would be crucial in the commercial success of biofuel cells. In the future, such semi-artificial hybrid assemblies could hold promise as sustainable sources of energy.