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We report a microliter-scale bacteria-powered biobattery providing a long-term operational capability for potentially powering unattended wireless sensor networks. In a 20μL-chamber, the biobattery contained a horizontally arranged anode/salt-bridge/cathode configuration with solid-state agar electrolytes. A slow release of bacterial nutrients from a synthetic solid anolyte enabled a continuous current generation (> 6μA/cm2) over 8 days while a liquid-based anolyte was completely depleted within 4 hours. Given that wireless sensors require an ultra-low power intermittently, our micro-biobattery can be practically used for more than a month without human intervention. Agar-based catholyte and salt bridge further enhanced the device lifespan and ensured its practical feasibility as a power source for wireless sensors. The device was sealed with a gas-permeable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane to facilitate gas exchange to the bacteria and cathodic reactions, even ideally allowing for replenishing bacterial nutrients from environments for self-sustainable energy harvesting. Our device used Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 to produce a maximum power density of 4μW/cm2 and current density 45μA/cm2 after 96 hours (day 4), which will be enough power for small-power applications.
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Spatial Engineering of Microbial Consortium for Long‐Lasting, Self‐Sustaining, and High‐Power Generation in a Bacteria‐Powered Biobattery
Abstract Bacteria‐powered biobatteries using multiple microbial species under well‐mixed conditions demonstrate a temporary performance enhancement through their cooperative interaction, where one species produces a resource that another species needs but cannot synthesize. Despite excitement about the artificial microbial consortium, those mixed populations cannot be robust to environmental changes and have difficulty generating long‐lasting power because individual species compete with their neighbors for space and resources. In nature, microbial communities are organized spatially as multiple species are separated by a few hundred micrometers to balance their interaction and competition. However, it has been challenging to define a microscale spatial microbial structure in miniature biobatteries. Here, an innovative technique to design microscale spatial structures with microbial multispecies for significant improvement of the biobattery performance is demonstrated. A solid‐state layer‐by‐layer agar‐based culture platform is proposed, where individual microcolonies separately confined in microscale agar layers form a 3‐D spatial structure allowing for the exchange of metabolites without physical contact between the individual species. The optimized microbial co‐cultures are determined from selected hypothesis‐driven naturally‐occurring bacteria. Vertically and horizontally structured 3‐D microbial communities in solid‐state agar‐based microcompartments demonstrate the practicability of the biobattery, generating longer and greater power in a more self‐sustaining manner than monocultures and other mixed populations.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1920979
- PAR ID:
- 10387615
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Advanced Energy Materials
- Volume:
- 11
- Issue:
- 22
- ISSN:
- 1614-6832
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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