A new type of high performance air-breathing glucose membraneless microfluidic fuel cell

Glucose membraneless microfluidic fuel cells have shown low cell performance with low oxygen mass transfer being one of the principal limitations. Herein, we report and discuss using air as an oxygen source to reduce the limitations of the cathode. The result was the first inorganic-catalyst air-breathing glucose microfluidic fuel cell, which shows the highest cell performance reported to date for this type of device: 1.6 mW cm−2 with a cell voltage and maximum current density of 0.83 V and 9.5 mA cm−2, respectively. This record performance was attributed to the enhancement of the oxygen concentration, oxygen diffusivity and the metal-metal and metal-support interactions of the AuAg supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (AuAg/MWCNT) employed as electrocatalyst in the anode with 20% less Au-loading than Au/MWCNT material as comparison.