PtPd alloy film-coated lipid nanotubes for glucose fuel cells in a neutral medium

Abstract

PtPd alloy film is coated on lipid nanotubes (LNTs) through the reduction of a mixed solution of H2PtCl6 and H2PdCl4 in the presence of LNTs. The Pt/Pd ratio is varied to determine the optimal composition for catalytic activity toward glucose oxidation in a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution at pH 7.4. It is shown that these PtPd-coated LNTs can be applied as an anode for the glucose fuel cell (GFC) operating in a neutral medium. A membrane-less GFC comprising Pt0.75Pd0.25-coated anode and Fe-Co/carbon cathode is constructed to achieve a maximum power density of 169.1 mu W/cm2 in a PBS solution with 5 mM glucose, with the open circuit voltage (OCV) of 504.5 mV. To demonstrate the biocompatibility of the proposed GFC, the GFC is implanted into a live rat, generating an OCV of 224.8 mV and a maximum power density of 45.8 mu W/cm2 in an in vivo test.