Supercapacitive Micro-Bio-Photovoltaics

Abstract

We created innovative supercapacitive micro-bio-photovoltaic systems (or micro-BPVs) with maximized bacterial photoelectrochemical activities in a well-controlled, tightly enclosed micro-chamber. The technique was based on a 3-D double-functional bio-anode concurrently exhibiting bio-electrocatalytic and charge-storage features so that it offers the high-energy harvesting function of BPVs and the high-power operation of an internal supercapacitor for charging and discharging. During the charging-discharging operation with 3 min of charging and 2 min of discharging, our device produced a maximum power density of 19.12 μW/cm2 and current density 212.09 μA/cm2, a performance significantly greater than that of the continuous discharging mode. This work creates a microscale hybrid energy-harvesting device that combines a biological photovoltaic device and a supercapacitor for self-sustainable field applications.