Enzymatic fuel cell with membrane bound redox enzyme

• US 20030198858A1
• Filed: 04/15/2002
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Powerzyme
• Original Assignee: Powerzyme
• Inventors: Sun, Hoi-Cheong Steve, Lipp, Steven Alan, Whipple, Richard T., Klatskin, Susan
• Application Number:
  US10/123,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20030198858A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/401
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/9008 Organic or organo-metallic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04089 of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0662 Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1009 with one of the reactants being liquid, solid or liquid-charged H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1011 Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/103 having nitrogen, e.g. sulfonated polybenzimidazoles [S-PBI], polybenzimidazoles with phosphoric acid, sulfonated polyamides [S-PA] or sulfonated polyphosphazenes [S-PPh]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1044 Mixtures of polymers, of which at least one is ionically conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1051 Non-ion-conducting additives, e.g. stabilisers, SiO2 or ZrO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/106 characterised by the chemical composition of the porous support
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1072 by chemical reactions, e.g. insitu polymerisation or insitu crosslinking
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Still further provided is a fuel cell with an anode compartment and a cathode compartment comprising: in the anode compartment, an anode electrode and, integrated into biocompatible membrane tethered to the anode electrode, a redox enzyme that can receive electrons from an electron carrier; in the cathode compartment, a cathode electrode which, when a conductive pathway to the first electrode is formed, is effective to convey the electrons to an electron acceptor composition in the cathode compartment; and a barrier separating the anode compartment from the cathode compartment but effective to convey protons from the anode compartment to the cathode compartment.

Claims

1. A fuel cell with an anode compartment and a cathode compartment comprising:

in the anode compartment, an anode electrode and, integrated into biocompatible membrane tethered to the anode electrode, a redox enzyme that can receive electrons from an electron carrier;

in the cathode compartment, a cathode electrode which, when a conductive pathway to the first electrode is formed, is effective to convey the electrons to an electron acceptor composition in the cathode compartment; and

a barrier separating the anode compartment from the cathode compartment but effective to convey protons from the anode compartment to the cathode compartment.

2. The fuel cell of claim 1, further comprising:

in the anode compartment, one or more dehydrogenase enzymes effective to transfer electrons from a C1 compound to an electron carrier.

3. The fuel cell of claim 2, wherein the C₁ compound is methanol or an oxidative product thereof.

4. The fuel cell of claim 2, wherein the barrier comprises proton pumping polypeptide which can be a redox enzyme.

5. The fuel cell of claim 2, wherein the cathode electrode is effective to convey the electrons to hydrogen peroxide in the cathode compartment.

6. The fuel cell of claim 2, wherein the barrier incorporates a proton transporting moiety for transporting protons from the anode compartment to the cathode compartment.

7. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said tethered biocompatible membranes are across perforations in a substrate forming a part of the barrier, and the biocompatible membranes across the perforations comprises proton pumping polypeptide which can be the redox enzyme.

8. The fuel cell of claim 7, wherein the width of the perforations is from 10 micrometer to 1,000 micrometer.

9. The fuel cell of claim 7, wherein the width of the perforations is from 20 to 200 micrometer.

10. The fuel cell of claim 7, wherein the width of the perforations is from 60 to 140 micrometer

11. A fuel cell with an anode compartment and a cathode compartment comprising:

in the anode compartment, an anode electrode and, associated with or adjacent to the anode electrode, a redox enzyme incorporated into a synthetic membrane comprising a block copolymer, wherein the redox enzyme can receive electrons from an electron carrier;

in the cathode compartment, a cathode electrode which, when a conductive pathway to the first electrode is formed, is effective to convey the electrons to an electron acceptor composition in the cathode compartment; and

a barrier separating the anode compartment from the cathode compartment but effective to convey protons from the anode compartment to the cathode compartment.

12. The fuel cell of claim 11, further comprising:

in the anode compartment, one or more dehydrogenase enzymes effective to transfer electrons from a C1 compound to an electron carrier.

13. The fuel cell of claim 12, wherein the C₁ compound is methanol or an oxidative product thereof.

14. The fuel cell of claim 12, wherein the barrier comprises proton pumping polypeptide which can be the redox enzyme.

15. The fuel cell of claim 12, wherein the cathode electrode is effective to convey the electrons to hydrogen peroxide in the cathode compartment.

16. The fuel cell of claim 12, wherein the barrier incorporates a proton transporting moiety for transporting protons from the anode compartment to the cathode compartment.

17. The fuel cell of claim 11, wherein said synthetic membranes are across perforations in a substrate forming a part of the barrier, and the synthetic membranes across the perforations comprises proton pumping polypeptide which can be the redox enzyme.

18. The fuel cell of claim 17, wherein the width of the perforations is from 10 micrometer to 1,000 micrometer.

19. The fuel cell of claim 17, wherein the width of the perforations is from 20 to 200 micrometer.

20. The fuel cell of claim 17, wherein the width of the perforations is from 60 to 140 micrometer.

21. The fuel cell of claim 11, wherein said synthetic membranes are across perforations in a substrate forming a part of the barrier, which substrate is formed of polyimide polymer or perfluorinated polymer.