Green Energy for Autonomous Devices: Surfactant-Enhanced Membraneless Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Cells*

The amphipathic properties of surfactant macromolecules, characterized by their hydrophilic and hydrophobic terminal groups, are ubiquitously used to modulate the surface tension of interfaces and clean surfaces. Previously, the crucial role of surfactants was reported for the performance of catalytic nano/- and micromotors. In this study, we extrapolate this concept to the membraneless hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) Fuel Cells (FCs), which exhibit performance dependence on the addition of different types of surfactants: cationic - Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS), anionic - Benzalkonium Chloride (BACl), and nonionic - Tween20. Among them, charged SDS and BACl show promotion and inhibition towards fuel cell performance, respectively. Non-charged Tween20 shows a neutral effect on fuel cell performance.