Fabrication and characterization of buckypaper-based nanostructured electrodes as a novel material for biofuel cell applications

Abstract

The fabrication process of buckypapers (BPs) made from stable suspensions of as-received or functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with high purity (97.5 wt%, Baytubes), their characterization and their utilization towards novel biofuel cell electrode applications are reported. The BPs can vary in thickness between 1 μm and 200 μm, are mechanically robust, flexible, stable in solvents, possess high meso-porosities as well as high apparent electrical conductivities of up to 2500 S m(-1). Potentiodynamic measurements of biocathodes based on bilirubin oxidase (BOD)-decorated BPs for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in neutral media (phosphate buffer solution) containing glucose indicate that BP electrodes based on functionalized MWCNTs (fBPs) perform better than BP electrodes of as-received MWCNTs and have high potential as an effective electrode material in biofuel cells and biosensors.

Assembly of carbon nanotubes into microparticles with tunable morphologies using droplets in a non-equilibrium state

“…This result indicates that the conductivity of accumulated CNT particles was $1/30 of the accumulated native CNTs, because of the lower density of CNTs in the accumulated bed of the CNT particles and the lower contact efficiency between the particles. This value was slightly lower than but comparable to previously reported values of those of MWCNT lms (600-2000 U À1 m À1 ), 40,41 showing the potential applicability of the particles to, for example, catalystloading electrodes for fuel cells. Future studies would include the characterization of the anisotropic physical strength of the obtained particles.…”

Electrocatalytic Biosynthesis using a Bucky Paper Functionalized by [Cp*Rh(bpy)Cl]+ and a Renewable Enzymatic Layer

“…This route was used successfully beforehand for the immobilization of some other transition metal complexes (e. g. Mn, Re, Fe, Co, Ni, or Cu) on carbon‐based electrodes ,. Compared to the CF‐MWCNT composite, a BP electrode is prepared by filtering the MWCNT solution without using CF as substrate . This approach circumvents the low adhesion of MWCNT on CF, so enhancing the longevity of the prepared electrode.…”

Carbon nanotube filled with magnetic iron oxide and modified with polyamidoamine dendrimers for immobilizing lipase toward application in biodiesel production

“…Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in particular have attracted growing interest since their discovery in 199189, mainly owing to their favorable physicochemical properties. In addition, CNTs can be easily functionalized and show great promise in various applications101112. However, one bottleneck encountered when using CNT-immobilized enzymes is their recovery from the reaction mixture for repeated use.…”