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An Overview of Enzymatic Biofuel Cells

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Abstract

The continuous increase in the search for alternative energy sources worldwide is pushing the demand for “clean” and efficient energy production processes. The concept of biofuel cell has been known since 1912 but only in 1964 that the first enzyme-based biofuel cell was described. Since then, this kind of device has been the target of many research teams worldwide. This device is an alternative to the fuel cells employing metal catalysts that is capable of converting chemical energy into electricity, with the advantage of using biological molecules as catalysts. This new technology offers several other advantages over traditional batteries, including the use of renewable and clean catalysts, reaction selectivity, fuel flexibility, and the ability to operate at milder temperature. Recent studies have demonstrated promising characteristics of these devices; however, despite the several advances in this area, some challenges still need to be faced. This manuscript aims to provide the reader with an overview of the state of the art in enzymatic biofuel cells by discussing the latest papers in this field and presenting an outlook for future research in this area.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support from FAPESP, CAPES, and CNPq is gratefully acknowledged. Aquino Neto also acknowledges the DS-CAPES fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

    S. Aquino Neto, J. C. Forti & A. R. De Andrade

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  1. S. Aquino Neto
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  2. J. C. Forti
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  3. A. R. De Andrade
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Correspondence to A. R. De Andrade.

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Neto, S.A., Forti, J.C. & De Andrade, A.R. An Overview of Enzymatic Biofuel Cells. Electrocatal 1, 87–94 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12678-010-0013-2

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