Enzymatic biofuel cells based on protein engineering: recent advances and future prospects

Abstract

Enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs), as one of the most promising sustainable and green energy sources, have attracted significant interest. However, the limited lifetime and output power of EBFCs deriving from the intrinsic defects of natural enzyme fail to meet the requirements of commercial applications. As a robust approach, protein engineering shows promising potential to overcome these defects. In this review, we will elaborate on the basic principles, structure and electron transfer pathways of EBFCs, and discuss the strategies of protein engineering for improving the performances of EBFCs. We hope that this review will inspire researchers to envisage efficient enzymes for EBFCs and promote the commercial transformation of EBFCs in implantable medical devices, portable power batteries and even clean-power-driven cars in the near future.