From Microbial Fuel Cells to Biobatteries: Moving Toward On-Demand Micropower Generation for Small-Scale Single-Use Applications
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PROGRESS REPORT Biobatteries www.advmattechnol.de From Microbial Fuel Cells to Biobatteries: Moving toward On-Demand Micropower Generation for Small-Scale Single-Use Applications Yang Gao, Maedeh Mohammadifar, and Seokheun Choi* and point-of-care diagnostics, allowing Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that generate electricity generation from a broad for immediate actions to be taken with diversity of biomass and organic substrates through microbial metabolism critical healthcare information available have attracted considerable research interest as an alternative clean energy at accident sites, in doctors’ offices and in ambulances.[11,12] Furthermore, minia- technology and energy-efficient wastewater treatment method. Despite turized disposable device technology has encouraging successes and auspicious pilot-scale experiments of the MFCs, been used in transient electronics which is increasing doubts about their viability for practical large-scale applications an emerging technology with the unique are being raised. Low performance, expensive core parts and materials, characteristic of physically disappearing [13,14] energy-intensive operation, and scaling bottlenecks question a sustainable on demand. The small-scale devices development. Instead, special MFCs for low-power battery-reliant devices can be ubiquitously deployed in our environment to temporarily collect real- might be more applicable and potentially realizable. Such bacteria-powered time information for human safety and biobatteries would enable i) a truly stand-alone device platform suitable for security,[15,16] revolutionizing the fields use in resource-limited and remote regions, ii) simple, on-demand power of temporary biomedical implants,[17,18] generation within a programmed period of time, and iii) a tracelessly biode- environmentally friendly electronics,[19] [20] gradable battery due to the use of the bacteria used for power generation. The data-secure memory devices, and disposable consumer electronics.[21] After biobattery would be an excellent power solution for small-scale, on-demand, their operation, the devices are prefer- single-use, and disposable electronics. Recent progress of small-scale MFC- ably designed to biodegrade without any based biobatteries is critically reviewed with specific attention toward various environmental and public health issues. device platforms. Furthermore, comments and outlook related to the potential Despite the huge potential of the small- directions and challenges of the biobatteries are discussed to offer inspiration scale disposable devices in diagnostics to the community and induce fruitful future research. and next-generation electronics, however, significant challenges still remain in devel- oping those devices at a system level that contains an integrated, on-demand power 1. Introduction source.[22–24] The key challenge is to develop a miniaturized on-chip power source for those diagnostic and transient devices Small-scale, single-use, disposable electronic devices have in a more effective and efficient way. Power autonomy is one recently received tremendous attention in diagnostic indus- of the most crucial elements of the devices for them to work tries and transient electronics.[1–6] The single-use technique independently and self-sustainably, even in resource-limited significantly reduces the risk of cross-contamination,[1] opera- environments where a stable electrical supply is not avail- tion and manufacturing costs,[2] and information leakage[7] able.[4] Even standard batteries are not suitable owing to their while the device miniaturization offers low power require- cost, incompatibility with miniaturized device platforms, dis- ment, high speed, and good reliability.[8–10] The small-scale, posal difficulties, and potential danger to the environment.[25,26] single-use devices enable the creation of low-cost, easy-to-use, Also, conventional energy harvesting technologies (e.g., solar, thermal, mechanical, chemical energy) are too overquali- fied and expensive to be used as a power source for single- Y. Gao, M. Mohammadifar, Prof. S. Choi use, disposable electronic applications, which require only Bioelectronics and Microsystems Laboratory small amounts of power consumption for a relatively short Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering time. What is necessary is a green, low-cost, and disposable State University of New York-Binghamton micropower source that can be easily incorporated into small, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA E-mail: [email protected] single-use applications for use in resource-limited environ- ments. Among the many batteries and other energy storage The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.201900079. devices, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) based biobattery is the most underdeveloped.[27] Nonetheless, excitement is growing, as DOI: 10.1002/admt.201900079 microorganisms can generate electrical power from wastewater Adv. Mater. Technol. 2019, 1900079 1900079 (1 of 26) © 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim www.advancedsciencenews.com www.advmattechnol.de or biomass, if available in resource-limited settings.[28,29] Furthermore, the biobattery can be decomposed by the on-chip Yang Gao received his microorganisms, promoting device biodegradability.[30,31] B.Sc. degree at Sichuan Here, we highlight the latest progress in the development University in China in 2011. of the bacteria-powered biobatteries and their applications. We After graduation, he was an will first discuss the MFC technology and its limitation as a electrical engineer in the practical power source. Then, we will introduce a novel MFC- R&D Department at Sinovel based biobattery platform as a new avenue for the MFC, which Wind Group Co., Ltd in China include the working mechanisms, configurations, and compo- between 2011 and 2013. nents. Details of the frontier research of flexible biobatteries, Then, he worked at the Hong biodegradable biobatteries, and long-lasting biobatteries will Kong Polytechnic University be discussed. Lastly, we will provide a critical perspective on on microgrid implementation strategic future applications. between 2014 and 2015. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at State University of New York 2. Limitations in Microbial Fuel Cells (SUNY) at Binghamton, NY, USA. His research interests include paper-based and textile-based biobatteries. Even a few years ago, no one doubted that the next generation of renewable energy could come through electroactive microorgan- isms (cf. also known as exoelectrogens, electrochemically active Maedeh Mohammadifar bacteria, anode respiring bacteria, and electricigens) because of received her B.Sc. degree their extraordinary ability to extracellularly transfer electrons from Khajeh Nasir Toosi from renewable organic matter to external electrodes.[32] This University of Technology, biological renewable energy technology looked fascinating as Tehran, Iran, in 2008, and a solution for environmental preservation and sustainability her M.Sc. degree from by generating renewable bioelectricity with abundant organic Amirkabir University of waste in nature.[33–35] Time selected this technique as the “The Technology, Tehran, Iran, in 50 Best Inventions for 2009.”[36] Furthermore, its considerable 2010. After graduation, she progress arisen from revolutionizing MFCs strengthened our was a research engineer at beliefs that this bacterial energy production could alleviate the Technology Incubator energy crises and environmental pollution. Notwithstanding Center of Tehran University the continuous governmental, academic and industrial efforts of Medical Sciences between 2011 and 2014. She is and money spent for the last decade, MFC techniques have not currently a Ph.D. student in the Electrical and Computer been able to go further than pilot-scale tests. The question has Engineering Department at State University of New York been raised by many leading researchers as to whether MFCs (SUNY) at Binghamton, NY, USA. Her research interests can be a future alternative energy technology and an energy- include paper-based, biodegradable, and transient efficient wastewater treatment method,[37,38] while leaving some biobatteries, and self-powered biosensors. possibilities of its practical use for powering small-scale elec- tronics in sediment environments.[39–41] Rather, there has been a significant shift in research toward bacterial electrosynthesis Seokheun Choi received his by using bidirectional bacterial electron exchange, producing B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in value-added chemicals,[42–45] or biofuels,[46–48] or performing electrical engineering from many other environmentally important functions, such as Sungkyunkwan University, water desalination,[49,50] bioremediation,[51,52] and toxicity detec- Korea, in 2003 and 2004, tion.[53,54] This is because of several critical issues that prevent respectively. He received his MFC technology from becoming a practical real system for Ph.D. degree in electrical power production at larger scales. First, the power output of the engineering from Arizona MFC (i.e., only several thousand mW m−2) is still too low for State University, USA, in practical applications other than powering low-power sensing 2011. He was a research devices.[55,56] Significant research efforts in exploring MFC engineer with LG Chem, Ltd., architectures, materials, electroactive bacteria, and operating Korea, from 2004–2006. From conditions