Enabling Electron Injection for Microbial Electrosynthesis with n-Type Conjugated Polyelectrolytes

Microbial electrosynthesis – using renewable electricity to stimulate microbial metabolism – holds the promise of sustainable chemical production. A key limitation hindering performance are slow electron transfer rates at biotic-abiotic interfaces. Here, we rationally design a water-processible n-type organic semiconducting polymer and demonstrate its use as a soft conductive material to encapsulate electroactive <i>Shewanella oneidensis </i>MR-1. The self-assembled three-dimensional living biocomposite amplifies current uptake from the electrode ≈674-fold over controls with the same initial number of cells, thereby enabling continuous synthesis of succinate from fumarate. By demonstrating synergy between living cells with n-type organic semiconductor materials, these results provide new strategies for improving the performance of bioelectrosynthesis technologies.