my.chemie.de
With an accout for my.chemie.de you can always see everything at a glance – and you can configure your own website and individual newsletter.
Uli Benz / TUM; Kunstwerk: Christian Wichmann
Prof. Jennifer Rupp and her team have developed a highly efficient glucose fuel cell.
Zoom in
Glucose is the most important energy source in the human body. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) now want to use the body's sugar as an energy source for medicinal implants. They have developed a glucose fuel cell which converts sugar into electricity.
Medicinal implants such as sensors for measuring vital functions, electrodes for Deep Brain Stimulation in treating Parkinson's disease and cardiac pacemakers all require power sources which are as reliable and as small as possible. But there are limits to how far battery size can be reduced, since batteries require a certain volume in order to be able to store energy.
A research team led by Jennifer Rupp, Professor for the chemistry of solid-state electrolytes at TUM and MIT's Dr. Philipp Simons have now developed a glucose fuel cell which is only 400 nanometers thick – one hundredth of the diameter of a human hair. "Instead of using a battery, which accounts for 90 percent of an implant's volume, our device can be mounted as a thin film on a silicon chip or perhaps in the future even on the surface of the implant itself," says Rupp.
The glucose fuel cell consists of a cathode and an anode as well as an electrolyte layer. Glucose from the body is converted to gluconic acid at the anode, releasing protons. The electrolyte conducts these protons through the fuel cell to the cathode, where they recombinate with air to form water molecules. The electrons flow through an external electric circuit which can power an electronic device.
The idea of using glucose fuel cells as a power source is not new: Previous devices used a plastic electrolyte layer. "Since plastic materials are not compatible with common production processes in the semiconductor industry, it is difficult to apply them to silicon chips, which are state of the art in medical implants. Hard materials are needed for this," Simons explains. Another disadvantage of the plastic-based electrolytes: The polymers which made up the plastic were sometimes damaged when sterilizing the implants.
Consequently the researchers used ceramic electrolytes for their new fuel cell. The ceramic they chose is easy to miniaturize and integrate on a silicon chip and is bio-compatible. The material can also withstand high temperatures.
The team produced 150 of the glucose fuel cells on a chip, with each cell only 400 nanometers thick and about 300 micrometers wide. The researchers successfully mounted the cells on silicon wafers, proving that the devices could be combined with a conventional semiconductor material. Then they let a glucose solution flow over the wafer.
They found that many of the cells generated a peak voltage of approximately 80 millivolts, enough to power for example sensors and many other electronic devices for implants. Given the minuscule size of each cell, this is the highest-ever power density of any glucose fuel cell design to date.
"This is the first time that the proton conduction in electro-ceramic materials has successfully been used in converting glucose into electricity," says Rupp. In a next step the research team wants to help bring the discovery to long-term practical application.
Molecular monitoring of RNA regulation
The better we understand cellular processes such as RNA regulation, the better molecular therapies can be developed. Until now, it has been especially difficult to track the regulation of non-coding RNA, which is RNA that is not further converted into proteins. A research team from the Tech ... more
Synthetic peptides may suppress formation of harmful deposits
In Alzheimer's disease, the degeneration of brain cells is linked to formation of toxic protein aggregates and deposits known as amyloid plaques. Similar processes play an important role also in type 2 diabetes. A research team under the lead of the Technical University of Munich has now de ... more
First electric nanomotor made from DNA material
A research team led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has succeeded for the first time in producing a molecular electric motor using the DNA origami method. The tiny machine made of genetic material self-assembles and converts electrical energy into kinetic energy. The new nanomot ... more
Vital wheat gluten, a protein with potential
For almost every one of the 17 goals that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out, food and its value chain plays an important role [1]. With this agenda, the United Nations has created a global framework for action that addresses all social players. more
Biobased raw material flows of the future
Anthropogenic climate change and the rising world population, in combination with increasing urbanization, poses global challenges to our societies that can only be solved by technological advancement. The direct biotechnological use of greenhouse gases, including residual biomass flows fro ... more
Taste and aroma boost in the mouth
The food trend towards healthy snacks is continuing. Snacks made from freeze-dried fruit meet consumer expectations of modern and high-quality food. However, freeze drying of whole fruits requires long drying times and substantially reduces sensorial quality, which is unappealing to consumers. more
Thomas Becker, born in 1965, studied Technology and Biotechnology of Food at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). He then worked as a project engineer at the company Geo-Konzept from 1992 to 1993. In 1995, he received his PhD from the TUM. From 1996 to 2004 he was Deputy Head of Depart ... more
Monika Wehrli, born in 1994, graduated from the ETH Zurich with a major in food process engineering. Since 2018 she has been working as a researcher at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, at the Chair of Brewing and Beverage Technology, where she pursues her doctorate in the field ... more
Thomas Brück, born in 1972, obtained his B.Sc. in chemistry, biochemistry and management science from Keele University, Stoke on Trent. Additionally, he holds an M.Sc. in molecular medicine from the same institution. In 2002, Thomas obtained his Ph.D. in Protein Biochemistry from Imperial C ... more
Light may increase performance of fuel cells and lithium-ion batteries
Lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells and many other devices depend on the high mobility of ions in order to work properly. But there a large number of obstacles to such mobility. A research team led by Jennifer L. M. Rupp of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Harry L. Tuller of the M ... more
DNA study casts light on century-old mystery of how cells divide
Scientists have solved a longstanding puzzle of how cells are able to tightly package DNA to enable healthy cell division. Their findings shed light on how single cells can compact DNA 10,000-fold to partition it between two identical cells - a process that is essential for growth, repair a ... more
New technology offers fast peptide synthesis
Manufacturing small proteins known as peptides is usually very time-consuming, which has slowed development of new peptide drugs for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and bacterial infections. To help speed up the manufacturing process, MIT researchers have designed a machine that can rapi ... more
The q&more concept is to increase the visibility of recent research and innovative solutions, and support the exchange of knowledge. In the broad spectrum of subjects covered, the focus is on achieving maximum quality in highly innovative sectors. As a modern knowledge platform, q&more offers market participants one-of-a-kind networking opportunities. Cutting-edge research is presented by authors of international repute. Attractively presented in a high-quality context, and published in German and English, the original articles introduce new concepts and highlight unconventional solution strategies.
> more about q&more
q&more is supported by:
