Biological photovoltaics

Summary

Biological photovoltaics, also called biophotovoltaics or BPV, is an energy-generating technology which uses oxygenic photoautotrophic organisms, or fractions thereof, to harvest light energy and produce electrical power. Biological photovoltaic devices are a type of biological electrochemical system, or microbial fuel cell, and are sometimes also called photo-microbial fuel cells or “living solar cells”. In a biological photovoltaic system, electrons generated by photolysis of water are transferred to an anode. A relatively high-potential reaction takes place at the cathode, and the resulting potential difference drives current through an external circuit to do useful work. It is hoped that using a living organism (which is capable of self-assembly and self-repair) as the light harvesting material, will make biological photovoltaics a cost-effective alternative to synthetic light-energy-transduction technologies such as silicon-based photovolta

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_photovoltaics

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Design of Optimized PEDOT‐Based Electrodes for Enhancing Performance of Living Photovoltaics Based on Phototropic Bacteria

Alessandra Antonucci, Ardemis Anoush Boghossian, Sara Politi, Melania Reggente

Living photovoltaics represent a growing class of microbial devices that are based on whole cell–electrode interactions. The limited charge transfer at the cell–electrode interface represents a significant bottleneck in realizing an efficient technology. This study focuses on the development of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)‐based electrodes that are electrosynthesized in the presence of a sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) dopant. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic electrochemical techniques, as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, and theoretical modelling of the electropolymerization transient, are employed to create and characterize PEDOT electrodes under various conditions. The electrodes are able to capture photosynthetically derived current under multiple light–dark cycles when interfaced with Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. In the presence of the Synechocystis, the PEDOT electrodes show a sixfold and twofold enhancement over conventional graphite electrodes for both mediatorless and K3Fe(CN)6‐mediated conditions, respectively. The ability of these electrodes to enhance extracted photocurrent for both direct and indirect electron transfer mechanisms provides a versatile platform for improving various microbial devices.

2020

Enhancing bioelectricity generation in microbial fuel cells and biophotovoltaics using nanomaterials

Amirmostafa Amirjani, Alessandra Antonucci, Ardemis Anoush Boghossian, Alice Judith Gillen, Mohammed Mouhib, Melania Reggente

Microbial fuel cells and biophotovoltaics represent promising technologies for green bioelectricity generation. However, these devices suffer from low durability and efficiency that stem from their reliance on living organisms to act as catalysts. Such limitations can be overcome with augmented capabilities enabled by nanotechnology. This review presents an overview of the different nanomaterials used to enhance bioelectricity generation through improved light harvesting, extracellular electron transfer, and anode performance. The implementation of nanomaterials in whole-cell energy devices holds promise in developing bioelectrical devices that are suitable for industry.

2019

Living on the Edge: Re-shaping the Interface of Synthetic Biology and Nanotechnology

Ardemis Anoush Boghossian, Shang-Jung Wu

A new team of researchers at EPFL is taking an 'anti-disciplinary' approach to creating optical devices. These devices take advantage of the synergy in tuning both nano- and bio-material properties, coupling 'the advantages of two growing, albeit traditionally distinct, fields. With applications spanning from biosensing and microarray assays to living photovoltaics, the Laboratory of NanoBiotechnology (LNB) is uncovering an unexplored space for the next generation of chemical analytics and light-harvesting technologies.

Schweizerische Chemische Gesellschaft2016