Yuto Takeuchi,Nobumitsu Sunaga and Takashiro Akitsu
Background: Cathode materials of biofuel cells sometimes contain mediator (metal complexes) to improve electron transfer efficiency between electrode and laccase. Laccase is an enzyme which catalyzes four-electron reduction of oxygen to water.
Methods: We have synthesized new four anthraquinone and L-amino acid (L-alanine, L-valine, L-leucin, and L-isoleucin) derivatives Schiff base Cu(II) complexes aiming at low cost materials using abundant Cu metal instead of Os or Ru metals employed commonly.
Conclusion: By means of spectroscopic, electrochemical, and docking simulation studies, the complex of L-valine derivative ligand exhibited the best performance as a mediator among these four complexes in view of low reduction potentials, high current density, and appropriate docking features.
