Zinc oxide and indium tin oxide thin films for the growth and characterization of Shewanella loihica PV-4 electroactive biofilms.

Transition metal oxides (TMO) electrodes provide a suitable platform for spectroscopy- and microscopy-based investigation of viable electroactive biofilms (EABs). Commercially available TMOs, such as indium titanium oxide (ITO), are produced from rare and expensive elements. Thus, there is a significant need to explore alternative technology to meet the demand. ZnO-based TMOs are low-cost and have excellent electrochemical properties. In this study, we report for the first time a model EAB of Shewanella loihica PV-4 on ZnO films deposited on perspex substrates via pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Commercially available ITO electrodes were also used for comparison. 480 Virulence Volume 2 Issue 5 EAB electroactivity was characterized through microbial biofilm voltammetry (MBV). ITO and ZnO films show flat surfaces and amorphous structure, and have 60 and 105 /sq. sheet resistance, respectively. S. loihica PV-4 biofilms on ITO and ZnO produced maximum current density of 3.38 and 0.25 mA/cm2, respectively. Our results suggest that ZnO has potential for the growth and characterization of EABs.