We developed a high-power
abiotic direct glucose fuel cell system
using a Au–Pt bimetallic anode catalyst. The high power generation
(95.7 mW cm
–2
) was attained by optimizing operating
conditions such as the composition of a bimetallic anode catalyst,
loading amount of the metal catalyst on a carbon support, ionomer/carbon
weight ratio when the catalyst was applied to the anode, glucose and
KOH concentrations in the fuel solution, and operating temperature
and flow rate of the fuel solution. It was found that poly(
N
-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-stabilized Au
80
Pt
20
nanoparticles (mean diameter 1.5 nm) on a carbon (Ketjen
Black 600) support function as a highly active anode catalyst for
the glucose electrooxidation. The ionomer/carbon weight ratio also
greatly affects the cell properties, which was found to be optimal
at 0.2. As for the glucose concentration, a maximum cell power was
derived at 0.4–0.6 mol dm
–3
. A high KOH concentration
(4.0 mol dm
–3
) was preferable for deriving the maximum
power. The cell power increased with the increasing flow rate of the
glucose solution up to 50 cm
3
min
–1
and
leveled off thereafter. At the optimal condition, the maximum power
density and corresponding cell voltage of 58.2 mW cm
–2
(0.36 V) and 95.7 mW cm
–2
(0.34 V) were recorded
at 298 and 328 K, respectively.