Traditional strategies to develop Au metal nanoparticle catalysts for glucose oxidation comprise Au nanoparticles (NPs) supported on electrode surfaces. In this work, the fabrication of a new material capable of acting as an abiotic anode for the electrooxidation of glucose was developed. The material is composed of electrospun carbon fibers containing gold nanoparticles formed in situ from a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solution with HAuCl4. This approach allows the pre‐reduction of the gold salt by PAN under mild conditions without the need for extra energy and leads to very stable carbon–gold bonding with well‐dispersed AuNPs, not previously reported. The gold‐modified carbon fibers (Au@CFs) were characterized by SEM, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, XRD, and electrochemical analysis. The Au@CF electrodes showed electrochemical activity toward glucose oxidation in alkaline media. Combined to a bilirubin oxidase modified biocathode (BOD@CFs), the resulting hybrid glucose biofuel cell showed open‐circuit voltage and power density values of 0.75 V and 65 μW cm−2, respectively, which remained intact after 3 weeks.

International audienceWe report a straightforward design for a hybrid glucose biofuel cell (h-GBFC) operating at pH7.4 with 10mM glucose at 37 degrees C. Homemade electrospun carbon nanofibers were used as electrode support. Clean and highly active gold-based nanomaterials (3-6nm) were synthesized for glucose electrooxidation. Enhanced catalytic activity toward glucose oxidation has been highlighted. Bilirubin oxidase enzyme was used to catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction. The constructed h-GBFCs exhibit an unexpected and highly improved open circuit voltage of 0.92V, which is the best value so far reported for such cells. The abiotic Au60Pt20Pd20/C anode induces high electrical performance with a maximum power density of 91 mu Wcm(-2) at 0.365V. This improvement over monometallic anode catalysts has been assigned to synergistic effects between gold, platinum, and palladium. Strategies developed herein will serve as guidelines for the development of new rational pathways to more powerful, stable, and promising GBFC designs

The design and fabrication of durable nanocatalysts to efficiently and selectively electro-oxidize organic molecules toward valueadded product(s) is an important starting point for the future deployment of electrochemical "cogeneration" devices with the triple advantage of producing electricity, heat and fuels/chemicals. This interdisciplinary research requires a synergistic effort from three communities of electrochemistry/electrocatalysis, material science and organic chemistry. To this end, we chose to explore the integration of different electrochemical and analytical techniques to study the outstanding ability of gold-based nanomaterials in the electrocatalytic oxidation of mono-and di-saccharides. In order to rationalize the previous outcomes on the selective catalysts for glucose-to-gluconate conversion toward cogenerating organic electrosynthesis (ECS Trans., 77, 1547), a multivariate study is carried out in alkaline and neutral pHs by examining three substrates, glucose, galactose, lactose and different electrodes. Electroanalytical investigation revealed that these substrates are selectively oxidized at their C1-position (two transferred electrons). At pH 7.4, the corresponding lactone and acid forms were detected by their specific vibration bands of 1744 and 1780 cm −1 , which is explained by a local pH decrease within the thin-electrolyte. Our study delineates a broad strategy for organic electrosynthesis in electrochemical cells by controlling electrode materials fabrication. Electrocatalysis plays a central role in chemical science by enabling the conversion of chemical energy ( reaction G, kJ mol -1 ) into electrical energy (E cell , V) and vice versa. Carbon-based fuels can be used in fuel cells (FCs) 1-6 for the production of electricity -despite their relatively low gravimetric energy density compared to molecular hydrogen, 33 kWh kg −1 vs.