Flexible Single-Layer Fabric-Based Co-Laminar Flow Photosynthetic Microbial Fuel Cell

Abstract

In this study, textile-based microbial photoelectrochemical solar cells are developed for flexible electronic device applications. Configuration of the self-pumping microfluidic channel without a proton exchange membrane is adopted to miniaturize the biophotovoltaic device. The microchannel region of the miniature device is patterned by silk screen printing using a body-friendly Ecoflex to maintain the flexibility of the fabric substrate. Gold nanoparticle biosynthesized Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 biocatalyst, supercapacitive ternary nanocomposite anode, and solid-state Ag2O oxidant are used to enhance the biosolar cell performance. A maximum current density of 135.1 mu A cm-2 and peak power density of 14.1 mu W cm-2, which are higher than previous textile-based microbial fuel cells, are achieved in the presence of light. The monolayer fabric-based biosolar cell has a stable performance up to 100 and 20 cycles of stretching and twisting, respectively. The presented new platform of flexible microbial solar cells offers the development possibility of self-sustaining wearable electronics.