Algae-Based Biopolymers for Batteries and Biofuel Applications in Comparison with Bacterial Biopolymers—A Review

Abstract

Algae-based biopolymers can be used in diverse energy-related applications, such as separators and polymer electrolytes in batteries and fuel cells and also as microalgal biofuel, which is regarded as a highly renewable energy source. For these purposes, different physical, thermochemical, and biochemical properties are necessary, which are discussed within this review, such as porosity, high temperature resistance, or good mechanical properties for batteries and high energy density and abundance of the base materials in case of biofuel, along with the environmental aspects of using algae-based biopolymers in these applications. On the other hand, bacterial biopolymers are also often used in batteries as bacterial cellulose separators or as biopolymer network binders, besides their potential use as polymer electrolytes. In addition, they are also regarded as potential sustainable biofuel producers and converters. This review aims at comparing biopolymers from both aforementioned sources for energy conversion and storage. Challenges regarding the production of algal biopolymers include low scalability and low cost-effectiveness, and for bacterial polymers, slow growth rates and non-optimal fermentation processes often cause challenges. On the other hand, environmental benefits in comparison with conventional polymers and the better biodegradability are large advantages of these biopolymers, which suggest further research to make their production more economical.

A Method for Sensing Dielectric Properties of Thin and Flexible Conductive Biocomposites

“…The only notable deviation occurs at 1 GHz with ethanol, likely due to its molecular resonance at microwave frequencies, which leads to increased dielectric losses. However, this is not a concern for biocomposites, as they exhibit different molecular structures and interactions with electromagnetic fields, resulting in significantly lower dielectric losses at this frequency [ 47 , 48 , 49 ]. The results successfully confirmed the validation of the simulated model and its potential for practical applications.…”