Bioelectrochemistry

Bioelectrochemistry is a fast growing field at the interface between electrochemistry and other sciences such as biochemistry, analytical chemistry and medicinal chemistry. In the recent years, the methods and the understanding of the fundamentals have seen significant progress, which has led to rapid development in the field.

Bioelectrochemistry represents a scientific field in which electrochemical principles and approaches are exploited to study biological processes. This topic is an incredible fast growing field situated at the interface among electrochemistry, biochemistry, analytical and medicinal chemistry, environmental and food science. Recently, significant progress in understanding, development and application of bioelectrochemistry has been reached, thus inducing an always more rapid growth in the field. Several efforts have been made to develop particular bioelectrochemical systems, such as the microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells, able to generate electricity, hydrogen or other chemicals.

In this book recent developments in this hot interdisciplinary field have been selected. The resulting overview comprises several different examples of innovative applications of bioelectrochemistry. The work covers the fundamental aspects of the chemistry, physics and biology which underline the subject area. It describers some of the different experimental techniques that can be used to study bioelectrochemical problems and it describes various applications of bioelectrochemistry including aerometric biosensors, immunoassays, electrochemistry of DNA, whole cell biosensors, in vivo applications and bioelectrosynthesis. In particular, the first part is focused on the use of microbes as source of useful products as biofuel, electricity or as novel eco-sustainable agents. The second part is aimed to analyze particular technological solutions, as the production of hydrogen starting from the oxidation of graphene or the developmental of a bioelectrochemical sensor to detect urea concentration. Finally, a particularly interesting and stable bioelectrocatalytic platform useful for biosensors and biofuel cells is reported. This book is intended for Electrochemists, Biochemists, Analytical Chemists, and Medicinal Chemists.