ИСТИНА

Abstract: The invention belongs to biotech-nology and is applied for creation of electrochemical generators of electricity, in particular, fuel cells using molecular hydrogen as fuel and oxygen as oxidizer including that of air. The invention is based on application of enzymes capable of catalyzing the anodic and cathodic processes in place of platinum and other noble metals. Anode or hydrogen electrode contains the enzyme hydrogenase, in its composition, catalyzing activation and oxidation of molecular hydrogen. Cathode or oxygen electrode contains oxidase, in its composition, catalyzing activation and reduction of molecular oxygen directly from water. Cathode and anode are separated by the medium not conducting the electrons but providing the transfer of ions. Hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell, based on immobilized enzymes, features the fact that it contains (a) the hydrogen electrode made of carbonic matter where the enzyme hydrogenase is immobilized as hydrogen oxidation catalyst, (b) the oxygen electrode made of carbonic matter where the enzyme oxidase is immobilized as oxygen reduction catalyst and (c) the ionic conductor separating the two electrodes. The enzyme-based fuel cell has the following merits: (1) Enzymes are totally renewable catalysts; their production can provide a growing demand for fuel cells; (2) Costs of enzymes in their mass production are much lower than that of o platinum; (3) Enzymic electrodes do not get poisoned > by admixtures of carbon oxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) present in cheap fuels; and (4) Enzymes catalyze only their ~ restricted reactions; the inevitable penetration of gasses into the opposite section of the fuel cell does not reduce its efficiency.