Electrocatalytic characteristics of electrodes based on ferritin/carbon nanotube composites for biofuel cells

Abstract

A single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT)/ferritin/glucose oxidase (GOx) layer on a glassy carbon electrode acting as a biofuel cell anode was fabricated using an SWNT/ferritin composite as an electron transfer mediator from the enzyme to the electrode. In the absence of glucose, the SWNT/ferritin/GOx composite showed a higher current response than an SWNT/GOx composite, and the electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose on the anode increased linearly with increasing concentration of glucose. The highly distributed SWNT/ferritin composite as a platform for enzyme immobilization resulted in an enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards glucose. The SWNT/ferritin composite showed an enhanced electron transfer from the enzyme to the electrode; therefore, SWNT/ferritin/GOx composites can be used as an anode in biofuel cells. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.