[17a-E302-1~11] 12.6 Nanobiotechnology

▼ [17a-E302-6] Fiber-based Biofuel Cells and Their Application in Cloth Face Masks

〇(M2)Daniella Gatus¹, Shiqi Wu¹, Wenyao Lei¹, Yi Ding¹, Takeo Miyake^1,2 (1.Waseda Univ., 2.JST-PRESTO)

Keywords:biofuel cell, bioelectronics, face mask

Power generation from renewable resources has gained so much attention in the research field with the goal to achieve a greener environment. Biofuel cells (BFCs) are fuel cells that generate electricity from biodegradable substances. Previous researchersOur groups have developed various types including , and the fiber-based BFC braceletbiofuel cell is one of them. The COVID-19 pandemic across the globe has raised awareness in the proper wearing and quality of face masks. Face masks serve as a tool to prevent the entry of viruses and harmful bacteria into our systems bodies through the nose and mouth. However, some people prefer to use cloth masks due to it being more recyclable, but relying only on its filtering capacity is mostly not enough. There are times that these bacteria stay on the mask surface and are transferred onto our hands when touching our masks. The researchers decided that if When the fiber-based biofuel cell could be applied to the cloth face mask, then this could be used for future developments for antibacterial features of the face mask. The ability to allow electricity to flow through the cloth face mask will be analyzed in this study. A bioanode of carbon fiber coated with an enzyme will be used to catalyze the emissions from the skin, i.e., ethanol, glucose, and lactate, thus releasing current to the biocathode through a conductive matrix.