(Invited) Self-Powered Sensors Employing Biofuel Cells: Wearable and Ingestible Bioelectronics

• Published in: Meeting abstracts (Electrochemical Society) Vol. MA2019-01; no. 44; p. 2083
• Main Authors: Jeerapan, Itthipon, Wang, Joseph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.05.2019
• ISSN: 2151-2043; 2151-2035
• DOI: 10.1149/MA2019-01/44/2083

Biofuel cells (BFCs), as energy harvesters, can be used as self-powered biosensors, simplifying sensing systems by minimizing power-consuming units. Such a unique feature allows two‐electrode BFC-based electrochemical biosensors to operate without externally applied voltage, which enables the miniaturization and convenient configuration of biosensors that traditional biosensors cannot offer. We have pioneered textile-based BFCs as highly stretchable self-powered sensors for wearable systems; these can autonomously extract the electrical power from perspiration to probe the sensing of metabolites, including glucose and lactate. Such BFCs with judicious serpentine designs are fabricated using screen-printing of nanomaterial-based engineered stress-enduring inks. Successful applicability to sock-based self-powered lactate biosensors with real-time wireless communication was also demonstrated on the human subject. These biodevices will contribute to the development of skin-worn energy harvesting systems, non-invasive sensors, and smart textiles. Furthermore, in order to expand a new spectrum of self-powered biosensors, we have demonstrated the first example of an edible ethanol BFC, based solely on highly biocompatible mushroom/plant extracts and food-based materials without any additional external mediators. The BFC anode and cathode materials consist of biocatalyst-rich mushroom and plant tissues, along with dietary charcoal and vegetable oils. These edible energy-harvesting BFCs hold great promise for revolutionizing ingestible bioelectronics and smart self-powered sensors for monitoring health and the digestive system.