Industrial applications of enzymatic fuel cells: Utopia or reality?

Enzymatic Fuel Cells (EFCs) are emerging as a promising technology for powering wearable sensors , actuators, and implantable biomedical devices , due to their ability to operate using a wide range of substrates, such as polysaccharides , alcohols, lactate, and hydrogen. This perspective examines the potential of EFCs for real-world applications, focusing on the enhancement of their performance through recent advances in electrode modification and the exploration of alternative enzymatic pathways for electricity generation . The study discusses the crucial role of effective enzyme immobilization on electrodes to achieve efficient electron transfer and long-term stability, highlighting various strategies such as covalent immobilization , crosslinking, entrapment, physical adsorption , and electrostatic immobilization. Despite significant progress, challenges remain in fully realizing the industrial potential of EFCs, particularly in balancing enzyme activity , stability, electron transfer efficiency and sterilization of the devices. The perspective concludes that while EFCs hold substantial promise, further research is needed to overcome implementation barriers and fully unlock their potential for diverse industrial applications. • Potential of enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) for real-world applications is examined. • Applicability in bioengineering is shown through the latest cutting-edge studies. • Main challenges in fully realizing the industrial potential of EFCs are listed. • Balance between processability and production throughput is still required.