Advanced Electrocatalysts on the Basis of Bare Au Nanomaterials for Biofuel Cell Applications

We report a drastic enhancement of electrocatalytic activity toward glucose oxidation by using novel electrocatalysts on the basis of “bare” unprotected Au nanoparticles synthesized by methods of laser ablation in pure deionized water. The recorded current density of 2.65 A cm–2 mg–1 for glucose electrooxidation was higher than a relevant value for conventional chemically synthesized Au nanoparticles by an order of magnitude and outperformed all data reported in the literature for metal and metal alloy-based electrocatalysts. The enhanced electrocatalytic characteristics of laser-synthesized nanoparticles are explained by the absence of any organic contaminants or protective ligands on their surface, the relatively small size of nanoparticles, and their particular crystallographic structure. The employment of bare nanomaterials in glucose electrooxidation schemes promises a radical improvement in current biofuel cell technology and its successful application in bioimplantable devices.