Flexible and Stretchable Biobatteries: Monolithic Integration of Membrane-Free Microbial Fuel Cells in a Single Textile Layer

The fabrication and performance of a flexible and stretchable microbial fuel cell (MFC) monolithically integrated into a single sheet of textile substrate are reported. The single-layer textile MFC uses Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1) as a biocatalyst to produce a maximum power of 6.4 µW cm⁻² and current density of 52 µA cm⁻², which are substantially higher than previous textile-MFCs and are similar to other flexible paper-based MFCs. The textile MFC demonstrates a stable performance with repeated stretching and twisting cycles. The membrane-less single-chamber configuration drastically simplifies the fabrication and improves the performance of the MFC. A conductive and hydrophilic anode in a 3D fabric microchamber maximizes bacterial electricity generation from a liquid environment and a silver oxide/silver solid-state cathode reduces cathodic overpotential for fast catalytic reaction. A simple batch fabrication approach simultaneously constructs 35 individual devices, which will revolutionize the mass production of textile MFCs. This stretchable and twistable power device printed directly onto a single textile substrate can establish a standardized platform for textile-based biobatteries and will be potentially integrated into wearable electronics in the future.