Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, California NanoSystems Institute, and the Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5100, USA.
Lab Chip. 2009 Nov 7;9(21):3076-81. doi: 10.1039/b910586g. Epub 2009 Aug 21.
We have developed a dual-chamber microfluidic microbial fuel cell (MFC) system that allows on-chip bacterial culture and conversion of bacterial metabolism into electricity. The micro-MFC contains a vertically stacked 1.5 microL anode chamber and 4 microL cathode chamber, and represents the smallest MFC device to our knowledge. Microfluidic deliveries of growth medium and catholyte were achieved in separate flow channels without cross-channel mass exchange. After inoculation of electrogenic Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1, current generation was observed on an external load for up to two weeks. Current production was repeatable with replenishment of organic substrates. A maximum current density of 1300 A/m(3) and power density of 15 W/m(3) were achieved. Electron microscopic studies confirmed large-scale, uniform biofilm growth on the gold anode, and suggested that the enhanced cell/anode interaction in the small volume may accelerate start-up. Our result demonstrates a versatile platform for studying the fundamental issues in MFCs on the micro-scale, and suggests the possibility of powering nanodevices using on-chip bioenergy.
我们开发了一种双室微流控微生物燃料电池（MFC）系统，该系统允许在芯片上进行细菌培养，并将细菌代谢转化为电能。微 MFC 包含一个垂直堆叠的 1.5 微升阳极室和 4 微升阴极室，是我们所知的最小的 MFC 设备。生长培养基和阴极电解液通过单独的流道输送，没有跨通道的质量交换。在接种了发电希瓦氏菌菌株 MR-1 后，在外部负载上观察到长达两周的电流产生。通过补充有机底物，可以重复产生电流。实现了 1300 A/m(3)的最大电流密度和 15 W/m(3)的功率密度。电子显微镜研究证实了金阳极上大规模、均匀的生物膜生长，并表明在小体积中增强的细胞/阳极相互作用可能会加速启动。我们的结果展示了一个用于在微尺度上研究 MFC 基本问题的多功能平台，并表明使用芯片上生物能源为纳米器件供电的可能性。
