Vozchikova S.V., Lyakova A.O., Alferov S.V.

Tula State University, Russia

The possibility of using immobilized membrane fraction of bacteria Gluconobacter oxydans as biocatalysts                            in Biofuel cell.

Biofuel cells (BFC) is a device that directly converts chemical energy into electricity through the substrate biocatalytic oxidation of organic or inorganic substances.The basis of the BFC is a biocatalyst - individual enzymes and whole cells of microorganisms. Bacteria Gluconobacter oxydans have a unique organization of the metabolic system, characterized by membrane localization of dehydrogenases, which provides easy access of the substrate to the enzyme active cites and allows the use of these microorganisms as a biocatalyst in the BFC. Using the membrane fraction as biocatalyst so it can be an alternative of enzymes application. It is more economically advantageous since the process of obtaining a membrane fraction is an intermediate step in isolation of individual enzymes, and therefore less expensive. In BFC biocatalyst may be provided with a suspension of cells or immobilized biomaterial on the electrode directly. Immobilization on the surface of the anode allows the reuse of the biocatalyst is applied, in turn, increases the long term stability of the BFC, and also promotes a more rapid and efficient transfer of electrons to the electrode.

The goal of this work was to study the stability (long-term and operational) of BFC model based on immobilized membrane fraction of bacteria G. Oxydans.

Immobilization of membrane fraction G. oxydans in glutaraldehyde on the surface of a graphite electrode (anode) was performed by mixing of 30 mg of a membrane fraction with 5 µL of 25% glutaraldehyde and by coated graphite electrode with resulting slurry (coating height 1 cm). Then, the electrode with immobilized membrane fraction left for 30 min. in air and used for measurements.

Operating stability is one of the most important characteristics of the electrode. It shows a resistance value generated by adding potential of the same substrate concentration (10 mM glucose) for carrying out a large number of successive measurements. To determine the operational stability was conducted 10 consecutive measurements with bioanoda adding 30 µL of 1M solution of glucose (concentration in the anode compartment 10 mmol/dm3).

It was established that the number of successive measurements, by using the immobilized biocatalyst is not less than 10. Maximum generation potential is carried out for 3-5 minutes.Relative standard deviation was 3.6%.

Long-term stability characterizes the stability of the electrode for a prolonged period of time. Long-term stability was determined by means of daily measurement (day 8) the values of generated potential by adding 30 µL of glucose solution of (concentration in the anode compartment 10 mmol/l). Between the measurements the electrodes were stored in a buffer solution in the refrigerator. It was established that the reduction of the generated potential by 50% was after 3 days application.

Thus, the use of immobilized membrane fraction of bacteria G. Oxydans as biocatalyst in BFC model is more efficient than the use of a membrane fraction in suspended form. After studying the long-term operating stability and found that the immobilized biocatalyst due to a stable operation of the electrode continues for 5 days, encouraging consistency can be carried out for at least 10 measurements.

GRATITUDE

This work was supported by RFBR grant agreement ¹ 13-03-97514/13 and Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation (State Task project code 1764).