Advances in enzyme bioelectrochemistry

ABSTRACT Bioelectrochemistry can be defined as a branch of Chemical Science concerned with electron-proton transfer and transport involving biomolecules, as well as electrode reactions of redox enzymes. The bioelectrochemical reactions and system have direct impact in biotechnological development, in medical devices designing, in the behavior of DNA-protein complexes, in green-energy and bioenergy concepts, and make it possible an understanding of metabolism of all living organisms (e.g. humans) where biomolecules are integral to health and proper functioning. In the last years, many researchers have dedicated itself to study different redox enzymes by using electrochemistry, aiming to understand their mechanisms and to develop promising bioanodes and biocathodes for biofuel cells as well as to develop biosensors and implantable bioelectronics devices. Inside this scope, this review try to introduce and contemplate some relevant topics for enzyme bioelectrochemistry, such as the immobilization of the enzymes at electrode surfaces, the electron transfer, the bioelectrocatalysis, and new techniques conjugated with electrochemistry vising understand the kinetics and thermodynamics of redox proteins. Furthermore, examples of recent approaches in designing biosensors and biofuel developed are presented.

Progresses and Prospects of Microbial Fuel Cell in Analytical Applications / 分析化学

Microbial fuel cell ( MFC ) is a type of energy device in which exoelectrogens are harnessed for directly converting the chemical energy of organic matter into electric energy. In addition to researches on the development of high-performance MFC, we have witnessed a rapid progress in the analytical application of MFCs. The MFC-based biosensors are simple and easy to operate, and they can also be used to monitor target online without external power sources, thus attracting more and more attention. Here, we summarize and discuss the progress on using MFCs for measuring biological oxygen demand ( BOD ) , volatile fatty acids, pollutant and toxic compounds, microbial activities and other substances. Furthermore, the design principle of MFC-based biosensors is clarified. The outlook and future prospect of MFC-based biosensors are also discussed in the end.