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Applications of Electrocatalysis in Bioconversion and Biosensing
Woonsup Shin
Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology,
Sogang University, Seoul 121-742, Korea
[email protected], http://sgbnel.sogang.ac.kr
Our lab focuses on electrocatalysis which is useful for the effective conversion of
carbon dioxide to useful organic compounds and for the amplified detection of biologically
important molecules. Moorella thermoacetica (or Clostridium thermoaceticum) is an acetateproducing anaerobic bacteria which can grow under CO2/H2 or CO. Carbon Monoxide
Dehydrogenase (CODH) is a key enzyme in this organism and can be used to convert CO2 to
CO selectively with almost no overvoltage by electrochemical reduction.[1] Moorella
thermoacetica itself can convert carbon dioxide to formate effectively at -600 mV vs. NHE
with 50~80% current efficiency..[2] Laccase (p-diphenol:dioxygen oxidoreductase, EC
1.10.3.2) is a blue-colored multi-copper containing oxidoreductase, which catalyzes the
oxidation of a variety of organic substrates coupled to the reduction of molecular oxygen to
water. It displays a broad specificity for the reducing substrates including mono-, di-, and
polyphenols, amino phenols, and aromatic diamines. On the other hand, bilirubin oxidase is
specific in oxidation of bilirubin. The metal centers in these enzymes can be considered as
anode and cathode in electrochemical system. Lignin degradation/ phenolic compounds
sensing[3] using anodic part and oxygen reduction/ DNA sensing[4] using cathodic part of the
enzymes will be discussed in the frame of electorcatalysis. The bio-fuel cells[5] and Zn anode
working in physiological condition are also actively pursuing research area in our lab. [6]
References:
1. Shin, W.; Lee, S. H.; Shin, J. W.; Lee, S. P.; Kim, Y. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 14688.
2. Shin, W.; Kim, Y.; Lee, H., Korea Patent 0468049, 2005.
3. (a) Quan, D.; Kim, Y.; Shin, W., J. Electroanal. Chem. 2004, 561, 181. (b) Quan, D.; Shin,
W., Electroanalysis, 2004, 16, 1576.
4. Zhang, Y.; Pothukuchy, A.; Shin, W.; Kim, Y.; Heller, A., Anal. Chem. 2004, 76, 4093.
5. (a) Mano, N.; Mao, F.; Shin, W.; Chen, T.; Heller, A., Chem. Commun. 2003, 4, 518. (b)
Mano, N.; Fernandez, J. L.; Kim, Y.; Shin, W.; Bard, A.. J.; Heller, A., J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2003,125,, 15290.
6. Shin, W; Lee, J.; Kim, Y.; Steinfink, H.; Heller, A, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 14590.