Harnessing electric power from monosaccharides—a carbohydrate–air alkaline fuel cell mediated by redox dyes

Although carbohydrates play a central role in the biochemical pathways of biological systems, current technologies do not allow us to seriously consider the direct oxidation of monosaccharides such as glucose as a prominent source of power for electronic devices. Here we show a simple, inexpensive approach to harness chemical energy from glucose, converting it directly to electric power without a precious metal, enzyme or microorganism catalyst to promote monosaccharide oxidation. The design of this abiotic anode using inexpensive chemical dyes in alkaline solutions with high-surface-carbon materials is capable of harnessing electrical power from glucose. In conjunction with a commercial air-breathing electrode the resulting cell can generate maximum power at about 0.3 V and more than 9 mA cm⁻²; thus more than 2.5 mW cm⁻². This power density surpasses any existing biotic or abiotic design. This approach might open the door to a broader possibility in using such monosaccharides in energy storage and harvesting to power small devices.