Non-Conventional Electrochemical Techniques for Assembly of Electrodes on Glassy Carbon-Like PPF Materials and Their Use in a Glucose Microfluidic Fuel-Cell

摘要

This paper addresses the electrochemical growth of PtAg and Au nanoparticles on pyrolyzed photoresist films (PPFs). The PtAg/PPF electrode was evaluated toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the absence and presence of glucose; meanwhile the electrocatalytic activity of Au/PPF was investigated for the glucose electrooxidation reaction (GOR) in 0.3 M KOH in the absence and presence of air as an oxygen source. The results obtained using the electrochemical studies showed that the PtAg/PPF electrode exhibited tolerance toward the ORR in the presence of low glucose concentrations. Moreover, Au/PPF showed good affinity toward glucose oxidation at high concentrations (50 and 100 mM) in the presence of oxygen instead further oxidations of glucose by-products. Both electrocatalysts were evaluated as the cathode (PtAg/PPF) and the anode (Au/PPF) in a glucose microfluidic fuel cell (G-mu FC) constructed using a UV-lithography technique and several sheets of different polymeric materials. The G-mFC was tested using 100 mM glucose with 0.3 M KOH as electrolyte in the absence of an external source of nitrogen or oxygen as the fuel at zero flow rate; this cell reached a maximum power density of 0.085 mW cm(-2) using a low Pt loading (approximately 20% of weight percentage) mixed with non-noble materials, such as Ag.