1
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Nguyen BC, Truong TM, Nguyen NT, Dinh DN, Hollmann D, Nguyen MN. Advanced cellulose-based hydrogel TiO 2 catalyst composites for efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic dye methylene blue. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10935. [PMID: 38740877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61724-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Sustainable cellulose-based hydrogels are used in medicine and environmental science. Hydrogels' porosity makes them excellent adsorbents and stable substrates for immobilizing photocatalysts to remove organic dyes. Despite their potential, the implementation of hydrogels for this purpose is still limited due to their high synthesis temperature and low cellulose content. To overcome these challenges, this study develops cellulose-based hydrogels, which have a high cellulose content and can be easily synthesized under ambient conditions. Containing a higher cellulose concentration than previous hydrogels, the synthesized hydrogels are more stable and can be reused numerous times in treatment operations. The hydrogel properties were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis. Scanning electronic microscopy revealed that TiO2 nanoparticles were homogeneously distributed throughout the hydrogel's matrices. In addition, transparent hydrogels allow light to pass through, making them suitable substrates to remove organic dye. The results showed that the hydrogel with TiO2 was able to degrade nearly 90% of organic dye within 180 min. Furthermore, the hydrogel with the embedded catalyst exhibits the potential for reusability with a regeneration efficiency of 80.01% after five runs. These findings suggest that this novel hydrogel is a promising candidate for water pollution remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bang Cong Nguyen
- School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet Street, 10000, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Thu Minh Truong
- School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet Street, 10000, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Ngoc Thi Nguyen
- School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet Street, 10000, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Duong Ngoc Dinh
- School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet Street, 10000, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Dirk Hollmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3A, 18059, Rostock, Germany
- Department Life, Light & Matter, Faculty for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 25, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | - Mai Ngoc Nguyen
- School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet Street, 10000, Hanoi, Vietnam.
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2
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Jalili P, Ala A, Nazari P, Jalili B, Ganji DD. A comprehensive review of microbial fuel cells considering materials, methods, structures, and microorganisms. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25439. [PMID: 38371992 PMCID: PMC10873675 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are promising for generating renewable energy from organic matter and efficient wastewater treatment. Ensuring their practical viability requires meticulous optimization and precise design. Among the critical components of MFCs, the membrane separator plays a pivotal role in segregating the anode and cathode chambers. Recent investigations have shed light on the potential benefits of membrane-less MFCs in enhancing power generation. However, it is crucial to recognize that such configurations can adversely impact the electrocatalytic activity of anode microorganisms due to increased substrate and oxygen penetration, leading to decreased coulombic efficiency. Therefore, when selecting a membrane for MFCs, it is essential to consider key factors such as internal resistance, substrate loss, biofouling, and oxygen diffusion. Addressing these considerations carefully allows researchers to advance the performance and efficiency of MFCs, facilitating their practical application in sustainable energy production and wastewater treatment. Accelerated substrate penetration could also lead to cathode clogging and bacterial inactivation, reducing the MFC's efficiency. Overall, the design and optimization of MFCs, including the selection and use of membranes, are vital for their practical application in renewable energy generation and wastewater treatment. Further research is necessary to overcome the challenges of MFCs without a membrane and to develop improved membrane materials for MFCs. This review article aims to compile comprehensive information about all constituents of the microbial fuel cell, providing practical insights for researchers examining various variables in microbial fuel cell research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payam Jalili
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirhosein Ala
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parham Nazari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahram Jalili
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Domiri Ganji
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, P.O. Box 484, Babol, Iran
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3
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Li D, Sun Y, Shi Y, Wang Z, Okeke S, Yang L, Zhang W, Xiao L. Structure evolution of air cathodes and their application in electrochemical sensor development and wastewater treatment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 869:161689. [PMID: 36682546 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Cathode structure and material are the most important factors to determine the performance and cost of single chamber air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC), which is the most promising type of MFC technology. Since the first air cathode was invented in 2004, five major structures (1-layer, 2-layer, 3-layer, 4-layer and separator-support) have been invented and modified to fit new material, improve power performance and lower MFC cost. This paper reviewed the structure evolution of air cathodes in past 18 years. The benefits and drawbacks of these structures, in terms of power generation, material cost, fabrication procedure and modification process are analyzed. The practical application cases (e.g., sensor development and wastewater treatment) employed with different cathode structures were also summarized and analyzed. Based on practical performance and long-term cost analysis, the 2-layer cathode demonstrated much greater potential over other structures. Compared with traditional activated-sludge technology, the cost of an MFC-based system is becoming competitive when employing with 2-layer structure. This review not only provides a detailed development history of air cathode but also reveals the advantages/disadvantages of air cathode with different structures, which will promote the research and application of air-cathode MFC technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dunzhu Li
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Yifan Sun
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Yunhong Shi
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Zeena Wang
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Saviour Okeke
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Luming Yang
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Liwen Xiao
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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4
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Rezaei A, Aber S, Roberts DJ, Javid Ga A. Synthesis and study of CuNiTiO 3 as an ORR electrocatalyst to enhance microbial fuel cell efficiency. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 307:135709. [PMID: 35843431 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have the capability of simultaneous sewage treatment and electricity generation. Modifying the cathode electrode enhances their efficiency. In this study, NiTiO3 and CuNiTiO3 were synthesized for practical application as cathode catalysts in a dual-chamber MFC and the performance of the modified cathodes was evaluated against a bare graphite electrode. SEM images showed that the particle sizes were mostly in the range of 40-120 and 20-80 nm for NiTiO3 and CuNiTiO3, respectively. According to AFM results, CuNiTiO3 presented a higher surface roughness than NiTiO3. MFC using CuNiTiO3/G electrode with a reduction potential value of -0.27 V (vs. SCE) and a power density of 62.18 mW m-2 showed better oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity compared with NiTiO3/G and the bare graphite. MFC using CuNiTiO3 cathode also showed the highest values in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (75%) and the calculated coulombic efficiency (CE, 10%). The results obtained in this study, introduce CuNiTiO3 as a promising electrocatalyst for further improvement of the cathodic reactions in MFC applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rezaei
- Research Laboratory of Environmental Protection Technology (RLEPT), Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Soheil Aber
- Research Laboratory of Environmental Protection Technology (RLEPT), Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran; Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Ave, Prince George, BC, Canada.
| | - Deborah J Roberts
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Ave, Prince George, BC, Canada
| | - Abbas Javid Ga
- Research Laboratory of Environmental Protection Technology (RLEPT), Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
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5
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Priya AK, Subha C, Kumar PS, Suresh R, Rajendran S, Vasseghian Y, Soto-Moscoso M. Advancements on sustainable microbial fuel cells and their future prospects: A review. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 210:112930. [PMID: 35182595 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a sustainable device that produces electricity. The main components of MFC are electrodes (anode & cathode) and separators. The MFC's performance is ascertained by measuring its power density. Its components and other parameters, such as cell design and configuration, operation parameters (pH, salinity, and temperature), substrate characteristics, and microbes present in the substrate, all influence its performance. MFC can be scaled up and commercialized using low-cost materials without affecting its performance. Hence the choice of materials plays a significant role. In the past, precious and non-precious metals were mostly used. These were replaced by a variety of low-cost carbonaceous and non-carbonaceous materials. Nano materials, activated compounds, composite materials, have also found their way as components of MFC materials. This review describes the recently reported modified electrodes (anode and cathode), their improvisation, their merits, pollutant removal efficiency, and associated power density.
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Affiliation(s)
- A K Priya
- Department of Civil Engineering, KPR Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore, 641027, India
| | - C Subha
- Department of Civil Engineering, Ramco Institute of Technology, Rajapalayam, 626 117, India
| | - P Senthil Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Chennai, 603 110, India
| | - R Suresh
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ambientales Zonas Áridas, Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Tarapacá, Avda. General Velásquez, 1775, Arica, Chile
| | - Saravanan Rajendran
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ambientales Zonas Áridas, Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Tarapacá, Avda. General Velásquez, 1775, Arica, Chile.
| | - Yasser Vasseghian
- Department of Chemistry, Soongsil University, Seoul, 06978, South Korea.
| | - Matias Soto-Moscoso
- Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Bío-bío, avenida Collao 1202, casilla 15-C, Concepción, Chile
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6
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Chen J, Liu Y, Yang J, Wang H, Liu H, Cao S, Zhang X, Wang R, Liu Y, Yang Y. The potential of Co 3O 4 nanoparticles attached to the surface of MnO 2 nanorods as cathode catalyst for single-chamber microbial fuel cell. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 346:126584. [PMID: 34929332 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A simple two-step hydrothermal method was used to prepare the cathode catalyst of microbial fuel cell (MFC). MnO2@Co3O4 composite was successfully prepared by in-situ growth of nano-particle-like Co3O4 on nano-rod-like MnO2. The hybrid products had (121), (310), (311), (400) and (511) crystal planes, rod-like and point-like structures were observed. MnO2@Co3O4 nanohybrids were rich in a variety of metallic elements and provided rich electrochemically active sites. The maximum voltage of MnO2@Co3O4-MFC was 425 mV, the maximum stabilization time was 4 d. The maximum output power was 475 mW/m2, which was 2.24 times that of Co3O4-MFC (212 mW/m2) and 2.63 times of MnO2-MFC (180 mW/m2). The rod-like structure of MnO2 could effectively improve the ion flow efficiency and reduce the transfer resistance, and the point-like structure of Co3O4 can increase the specific surface area of the complex and provide more active sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Chen
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China.
| | - Yuhan Liu
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Jiaqi Yang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Haidi Wang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Huan Liu
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Shining Cao
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Xiaochi Zhang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Renjun Wang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Yanyan Liu
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Yuewei Yang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
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7
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Hoang AT, Nižetić S, Ng KH, Papadopoulos AM, Le AT, Kumar S, Hadiyanto H, Pham VV. Microbial fuel cells for bioelectricity production from waste as sustainable prospect of future energy sector. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 287:132285. [PMID: 34563769 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is lauded for its potentials to solve both energy crisis and environmental pollution. Technologically, it offers the capability to harness electricity from the chemical energy stored in the organic substrate with no intermediate steps, thereby minimizes the entropic loss due to the inter-conversion of energy. The sciences underneath such MFCs include the electron and proton generation from the metabolic decomposition of the substrate by microbes at the anode, followed by the shuttling of these charges to cathode for electricity generation. While its promising prospects were mutually evinced in the past investigations, the upscaling of MFC in sustaining global energy demands and waste treatments is yet to be put into practice. In this context, the current review summarizes the important knowledge and applications of MFCs, concurrently identifies the technological bottlenecks that restricted its vast implementation. In addition, economic analysis was also performed to provide multiangle perspectives to readers. Succinctly, MFCs are mainly hindered by the slow metabolic kinetics, sluggish transfer of charged particles, and low economic competitiveness when compared to conventional technologies. From these hindering factors, insightful strategies for improved practicality of MFCs were formulated, with potential future research direction being identified too. With proper planning, we are delighted to see the industrialization of MFCs in the near future, which would benefit the entire human race with cleaner energy and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Tuan Hoang
- Institute of Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH), Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
| | - Sandro Nižetić
- University of Split, FESB, Rudjera Boskovica 32, 21000, Split, Croatia
| | - Kim Hoong Ng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, 24301, Taiwan.
| | - Agis M Papadopoulos
- Process Equipment Design Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Postal Address: GR-54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anh Tuan Le
- School of Transportation Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
| | - Sunil Kumar
- Waste Reprocessing Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440 020, India
| | - H Hadiyanto
- Center of Biomass and Renewable Energy (CBIORE), Department of Chemical Engineering, Diponegoro University, Jl. Prof. Soedarto SH, Tembalang, Semarang, 50271, Indonesia; School of Postgraduate Studies, Diponegoro University, Jl. Imam Bardjo, SH Semarang, 50241, Indonesia.
| | - Van Viet Pham
- PATET Research Group, Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
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8
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Chang J, Wang W, Wang Y, Su C, Pan J, Wang H, Song H. Fabrication of bimetallic Co/Zn leaf blade structure template derived Co3O4-ZIF/Zn and its ORR catalytic performance for MFC. J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtice.2021.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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9
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Fonseca EU, Yang W, Wang X, Rossi R, Logan BE. Comparison of different chemical treatments of brush and flat carbon electrodes to improve performance of microbial fuel cells. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 342:125932. [PMID: 34543819 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Anodes in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can be chemically treated to improve performance but the impact of treatment on power generation has not been examined for different electrode base materials. Brush or flat anodes were chemically treated and then compared in identical two-chambered MFCs using the electrode potential slope (EPS) analysis to quantify the anode resistances. Flat carbon cloth anodes modified with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) produced 1.42 ± 0.06 W m-2, which was 3.2 times more power than the base material (0.44 ± 0.00 W m-2), but less than the 2.35 ± 0.1 W m-2 produced using plain graphite fiber brush anodes. An EPS analysis showed that there was a 90% decrease in the anode resistances of the CNT-treated carbon cloth and a 5% decrease of WO3 nanoparticle-treated brushes compared to unmodified controls. Certain chemical treatments can therefore improve performance of flat anodes, but plain brush anodes achieved the highest power densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel U Fonseca
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Wulin Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States; College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xu Wang
- School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Ruggero Rossi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Bruce E Logan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
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10
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Iannaci A, Ingle S, Domínguez C, Longhi M, Merdrignac-Conanec O, Ababou-Girard S, Barrière F, Colavita PE. Nanoscaffold effects on the performance of air-cathodes for microbial fuel cells: Sustainable Fe/N-carbon electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction under neutral pH conditions. Bioelectrochemistry 2021; 142:107937. [PMID: 34474203 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2021.107937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Nanostructured electrocatalysts for microbial fuel cell air-cathodes were obtained via use of conductive carbon blacks for the synthesis of high performing 3D conductive networks. We used two commercially available nanocarbons, Black Pearls 2000 and multiwalled carbon nanotubes, as conductive scaffolds for the synthesis of nanocomposite electrodes by combining: a hydrothermally carbonized resin, a sacrificial polymeric template, a nitrogenated organic precursor and iron centers. The resulting materials are micro-mesoporous, possess high specific surface area and display N-sites (N/C of 3-5 at%) and Fe-centers (Fe/C < 1.5at.%) at the carbon surface as evidenced from characterization methods. Voltammetry studies of oxygen reduction reaction activity were carried out at neutral pH, which is relevant to microbial fuel cell applications, and activity trends are discussed in light of catalyst morphology and composition. Tests of the electrocatalyst using microbial fuel cell devices indicate that optimization of the nanocarbon scaffold for the Pt-free carbon-based electrocatalysts results in maximum power densities that are 25% better than those of Pt/C cathodes, at a fraction of the materials costs. Therefore, the proposed Fe/N-carbon catalysts are promising and sustainable high-performance cathodic materials for microbial fuel cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Iannaci
- School of Chemistry, CRANN and AMBER Research Centres, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Swapnil Ingle
- School of Chemistry, CRANN and AMBER Research Centres, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Carlota Domínguez
- School of Chemistry, CRANN and AMBER Research Centres, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Mariangela Longhi
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Chimica, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | | | - Soraya Ababou-Girard
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Institut de Physique de Rennes, UMR 6251, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Frédéric Barrière
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes - UMR 6226, F-35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Paula E Colavita
- School of Chemistry, CRANN and AMBER Research Centres, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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11
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Changes in electrode resistances and limiting currents as a function of microbial electrolysis cell reactor configurations. Electrochim Acta 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2021.138590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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12
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Yu M, Yang W, Yuan X, Li Y, Li N, He W, Feng Y, Liu J. Enhanced oxygen reduction activity and high-quality effluent of membrane filtration electrodes with Prussian blue in microbial fuel cells. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 753:142021. [PMID: 32898810 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Membrane filtration electrode based microbial fuel cell provides a promising route to simultaneously recover energy and produce high-quality effluent during water treatment. Enhancing effluent quality and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of the membrane electrode still remains a major challenge. In this study, filtration types of membrane electrodes with Prussian blue (PB) doping and PVDF-PVC-PEG triblock copolymers were prepared by a simple phase inversion fabrication process. The PB-0.2 membrane electrode with optimal 0.2 wt% of PB obtained the highest current density (12.0 A m-2) and the lowest charge transfer resistance (5.0 ± 0.1 Ω). Rotating disk electrode (RDE) results also demonstrated that the PB-0.2 catalyst exhibited the superior ORR activity with the highest number of transferred electrons (n = 3.90). Furthermore, the MFC with PB-0.2 produced the maximum power density of 1401 ± 17 mW m-2, which was 186.5% higher than that of the control. Moreover, the filtrated effluent tCODeff was 20.6 ± 1.2 mg L-1 for the PB-0.2, which was significantly reduced by 63% compared with the control. These results showed that the addition of PB was an effective strategy to enhance the overall oxygen reduction performance and improve effluent quality of microbial fuel cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiying Yu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Wulin Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Xiaole Yuan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yunfei Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Nan Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Weihua He
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yujie Feng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China.
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13
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Leininger A, Yates MD, Ramirez M, Kjellerup B. Biofilm structure, dynamics, and ecology of an upscaled biocathode wastewater microbial fuel cell. Biotechnol Bioeng 2020; 118:1305-1316. [PMID: 33305821 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
A microbial fuel cell (MFC) system containing modular half-submerged biocathode was operated for 6 months in an 800 L flow-through system with domestic wastewater. For the first time, spatial and temporal differences in biofilm communities were examined on large three-dimensional electrodes in a wastewater MFC. Biocathode microbial community analysis showed a specialized biofilm community with electrogenic and electrotrophic taxa forming during operation, suggesting potentially opposing electrode reactions. The anodic community structure shifted during operation, but no spatial differences were observed along the length of the electrode. Power output from the system was most strongly influenced by pH. Higher power densities were associated with the use of solids-dewatering filtrate with increased organic matter, conductivity, and pH. The results show that the biocathode was the rate-limiting step and that future MFC design should consider the effect of size, shape, and orientation of biocathodes on their community assembly and electrotrophic ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Leininger
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Matthew D Yates
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Mark Ramirez
- DC Water Blue Plains, Resource Recovery, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Birthe Kjellerup
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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14
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Li Y, Yang W, Liu X, Guan W, Zhang E, Shi X, Zhang X, Wang X, Mao X. Diffusion-layer-free air cathode based on ionic conductive hydrogel for microbial fuel cells. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 743:140836. [PMID: 32758853 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
High hydraulic pressure in air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can lead to severe cathodic water leakage and power reduction, thereby hindering the practical applications of MFCs. In this study, an alternative air cathode without a diffusion layer was developed using a cross-linked hydrogel, oxidized konjac glucomannan/2-hydroxypropytrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (OKH), for ion bridging. The cathode was placed horizontally to avoid hydraulic pressure on its surface. Ion transportation was sustained with a minimal OKH hydrogel loading of 10 mg/cm2. A maximum power density of 1.0 ± 0.04 W/m2 was achieved, which was only slightly lower than the 1.28 ± 0.02 W/m2 of common air cathodes. Moreover, the cost of the OKH hydrogel is only $0.12/m2, which can reduce ~85% of the cathode cost without using the advanced polyvinylidene fluoride diffusion layer. Therefore, the development of this new diffusion-layer-free air cathode using conductive ionic hydrogel provides a low-cost strategy for stable MFC operation, thereby demonstrating great potential for practical applications of MFC technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and Energy, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Wulin Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Xue Liu
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Weikai Guan
- School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and Energy, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Enren Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou City 225002, PR China
| | - Xiaowen Shi
- School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and Energy, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Xinquan Zhang
- School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and Energy, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Xu Wang
- School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and Energy, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, PR China.
| | - Xuhui Mao
- School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and Energy, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
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15
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Cobalt‑nitrogen‑carbon nanotube co-implanted activated carbon as efficient cathodic oxygen reduction catalyst in microbial fuel cells. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2020.114498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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16
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Lawson K, Rossi R, Regan JM, Logan BE. Impact of cathodic electron acceptor on microbial fuel cell internal resistance. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 316:123919. [PMID: 32771939 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Ferricyanide is often used in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to avoid oxygen intrusion that occurs with air cathodes. However, MFC internal resistances using ferricyanide can be larger than those with air cathodes even though ferricyanide results in higher power densities. Using a graphite fiber brush cathode and a ferricyanide catholyte (FC-B) the internal resistance was 62 ± 4 mΩ m2, with 84 ± 8 mΩ m2 obtained using ferricyanide and a flat carbon paper cathode (FC-F) and only 51 ± 1 mΩ m2 using a 70% porosity air cathode (A-70). The FC-B MFCs produced the highest maximum power density of all configurations examined: 2.46 ± 0.26 W/m2, compared to 1.33 ± 0.14 W/m2 for the A-70 MFCs. The electrode potential slope (EPS) analysis method showed that electrode resistances were similar for ferricyanide and air-cathode MFCs, and that higher power was due to the larger experimental working potential (500 ± 12 mV) of ferricyanide compared to the air cathode (233 ± 5 mV).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Lawson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Ruggero Rossi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - John M Regan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Bruce E Logan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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17
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Zhou R, Zhou S, He C. Quantitative evaluation of effects of different cathode materials on performance in Cd(II)-reduced microbial electrolysis cells. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 307:123198. [PMID: 32217438 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Three materials including stainless steel woven mesh (SSM), nickel foam (NF) and carbon cloth (CC) were conducted as cathode in Cd(II)-reduced microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), respectively. By using electrode potential slope (EPS) method, the experimental open circuit potentials of three cathodes were similar, while the SSM cathode showed the smallest resistance (6 ± 1 mΩ m2), following by NF cathode (18 ± 2 mΩ m2) and CC cathode (32 ± 5 mΩ m2). These values were analyzed to predicte higher current density and more positive cathode potential in the MEC with SSM cathode under subsequent operating conditions. Electrochemical performance was more likely to be limited by current density than cathode potential. Accordingly, the MEC with SSM cathode obtained better system performance than that with other cathodes. This study further expands the application of EPS method that quantitatively evaluating and effectively selecting cathode materials for better system performance in Cd(II)-reduced MECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruikang Zhou
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Shaoqi Zhou
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Guizhou Academy of Sciences, Shanxi Road 1, Guiyang 550001, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, PR China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
| | - Chunqiu He
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
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18
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Rossi R, Hall DM, Wang X, Regan JM, Logan BE. Quantifying the factors limiting performance and rates in microbial fuel cells using the electrode potential slope analysis combined with electrical impedance spectroscopy. Electrochim Acta 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2020.136330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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19
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Yaqoob AA, Mohamad Ibrahim MN, Rafatullah M, Chua YS, Ahmad A, Umar K. Recent Advances in Anodes for Microbial Fuel Cells: An Overview. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 13:E2078. [PMID: 32369902 PMCID: PMC7254385 DOI: 10.3390/ma13092078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The recycling and treatment of wastewater using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) has been attracting significant attention as a way to control energy crises and water pollution simultaneously. Despite all efforts, MFCs are unable to produce high energy or efficiently treat pollutants due to several issues, one being the anode's material. The anode is one of the most important parts of an MFC. Recently, different types of anode materials have been developed to improve the removal rate of pollutants and the efficiency of energy production. In MFCs, carbon-based materials have been employed as the most commonly preferred anode material. An extensive range of potentials are presently available for use in the fabrication of anode materials and can considerably minimize the current challenges, such as the need for high quality materials and their costs. The fabrication of an anode using biomass waste is an ideal approach to address the present issues and increase the working efficiency of MFCs. Furthermore, the current challenges and future perspectives of anode materials are briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asim Ali Yaqoob
- School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia; (A.A.Y.); (Y.S.C.); (K.U.)
| | | | - Mohd Rafatullah
- School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia;
| | - Yong Shen Chua
- School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia; (A.A.Y.); (Y.S.C.); (K.U.)
| | - Akil Ahmad
- School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia;
| | - Khalid Umar
- School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia; (A.A.Y.); (Y.S.C.); (K.U.)
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20
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21
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Wang X, Rossi R, Yan Z, Yang W, Hickner MA, Mallouk TE, Logan BE. Balancing Water Dissociation and Current Densities To Enable Sustainable Hydrogen Production with Bipolar Membranes in Microbial Electrolysis Cells. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:14761-14768. [PMID: 31713416 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen production using two-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) is usually adversely impacted by a rapid rise in catholyte pH because of proton consumption for the hydrogen evolution reaction. While using a bipolar membrane (BPM) will maintain a more constant electrolyte pH, the large voltage loss across this membrane reduces performance. To overcome these limitations, we used an acidic catholyte to compensate for the potential loss incurred by using a BPM. A hydrogen production rate of 1.2 ± 0.7 L-H2/L/d (jmax = 10 ± 0.4 A/m2) was obtained using a Pt cathode and BPM with a pH difference (ΔpH = 6.1) between the two chambers. This production rate was 2.8 times greater than that of a conventional MEC with an anion exchange membrane (AEM, 0.43 ± 0.1 L-H2/L/d, jmax = 6.5 ± 0.3 A/m2). The catholyte pH gradually increased to 11 ± 0.3 over 9 days using the BPM and Pt/C, which decreased current production (jmax = 2.5 ± 0.3 A/m2). However, this performance was much better than that obtained using an AEM as the catholyte pH increased to 10 ± 0.4 after just one day. The use of an activated carbon cathode with the BPM enabled stable performance over a longer period of 12 days, although it reduced the hydrogen production rate (0.45 ± 0.1 L-H2/L/d).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Wang
- School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and Energy , Wuhan University , No. 129 Luoyu Road , Wuhan 430079 , P. R. China
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22
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Marzorati S, Cristiani P, Longhi M, Trasatti SP, Traversa E. Nanoceria acting as oxygen reservoir for biocathodes in microbial fuel cells. Electrochim Acta 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2019.134954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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23
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Combination of bioelectrochemical systems and electrochemical capacitors: Principles, analysis and opportunities. Biotechnol Adv 2019; 39:107456. [PMID: 31618667 PMCID: PMC7068652 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.107456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Bioelectrochemical systems combine electrodes and reactions driven by microorganisms for many different applications. The conversion of organic material in wastewater into electricity occurs in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The power densities produced by MFCs are still too low for application. One way of increasing their performance is to combine them with electrochemical capacitors, widely used for charge storage purposes. Capacitive MFCs, i.e. the combination of capacitors and MFCs, allow for energy harvesting and storage and have shown to result in improved power densities, which facilitates the up scaling and application of the technology. This manuscript summarizes the state-of-the-art of combining capacitors with MFCs, starting with the theory and working principle of electrochemical capacitors. We address how different electrochemical measurements can be used to determine (bio)electrochemical capacitance and show how the measurement data can be interpreted. In addition, we present examples of the combination of electrochemical capacitors, both internal and external, that have been used to enhance MFC performance. Finally, we discuss the most promising applications and the main existing challenges for capacitive MFCs.
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24
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Rossi R, Wang X, Yang W, Logan BE. Impact of cleaning procedures on restoring cathode performance for microbial fuel cells treating domestic wastewater. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 290:121759. [PMID: 31323515 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Degradation of cathode performance over time is one of the major drawbacks in applications of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for wastewater treatment. Over a two month period the resistance of air cathodes (RCt) with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) diffusion layer increased of 111% from 70 ± 10 mΩ m2 to 148 ± 32 mΩ m2. Soaking the cathodes in hydrochloric acid (100 mM HCl) restored cathode performance to RCt = 74 ± 17 mΩ m2. Steam, ethanol, or sodium hydroxide treatment produced only a small change in performance, and slightly increased RCt. With a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) diffusion layer on the cathodes, RCt increased from 54 ± 14 mΩ m2 to 342 ± 142 mΩ m2 after two months of operation. The acid concentration was critical for effectiveness in cleaning, as HCl (100 mM) decreased RCt to 28 ± 8 mΩ m2. A lower concentration of HCl (<1 mM) showed no improvement, and vinegar (5% acetic acid) produced 48 ± 4 mΩ m2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruggero Rossi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and Energy, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Wulin Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Bruce E Logan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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25
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Cario BP, Rossi R, Kim KY, Logan BE. Applying the electrode potential slope method as a tool to quantitatively evaluate the performance of individual microbial electrolysis cell components. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 287:121418. [PMID: 31078815 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Improving the design of microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) requires better identification of the specific factors that limit performance. The contributions of the electrodes, solution, and membrane to internal resistance were quantified here using the newly-developed electrode potential slope (EPS) method. The largest portion of total internal resistance (120 ± 0 mΩ m2) was associated with the carbon felt anode (71 ± 5 mΩ m2, 59% of total), likely due to substrate and ion mass transfer limitations arising from stagnant fluid conditions and placement of the electrode against the anion exchange membrane. The anode resistance was followed by the solution (25 mΩ m2) and cathode (18 ± 2 mΩ m2) resistances, and a negligible membrane resistance. Wide adoption and application of the EPS method will enable direct comparison between the performance of the components of MECs with different solution characteristics, electrode size and spacing, reactor architecture, and operating conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P Cario
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Ruggero Rossi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kyoung-Yeol Kim
- Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Bruce E Logan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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26
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Salar Garcia MJ, Santoro C, Kodali M, Serov A, Artyushkova K, Atanassov P, Ieropoulos I. Iron-streptomycin derived catalyst for efficient oxygen reduction reaction in ceramic microbial fuel cells operating with urine. JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES 2019; 425:50-59. [PMID: 31217667 PMCID: PMC6559230 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.03.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has drawn the attention of the scientific community due to its ability to produce clean energy and treat different types of waste at the same time. Often, expensive catalysts are required to facilitate the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and this hinders their large-scale commercialisation. In this work, a novel iron-based catalyst (Fe-STR) synthesised from iron salt and streptomycin as a nitrogen-rich organic precursor was chemically, morphologically and electrochemically studied. The kinetics of Fe-STR with and without being doped with carbon nanotubes (CNT) was initially screened through rotating disk electrode (RDE) analysis. Then, the catalysts were integrated into air-breathing cathodes and placed into ceramic-type MFCs continuously fed with human urine. The half-wave potential showed the following trend Fe-STR > Fe-STR-CNT ≫ AC, indicating better kinetics towards ORR in the case of Fe-STR. In terms of MFC performance, the results showed that cathodes containing Fe-based catalyst outperformed AC-based cathodes after 3 months of operation. The long-term test reported that Fe-STR-based cathodes allow MFCs to reach a stable power output of 104.5 ± 0.0 μW cm-2, 74% higher than AC-based cathodes (60.4 ± 3.9 μW cm-2). To the best of the Authors' knowledge, this power performance is the highest recorded from ceramic-type MFCs fed with human urine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jose Salar Garcia
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Carlo Santoro
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Mounika Kodali
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, University of New Mexico, USA
| | - Alexey Serov
- Pajarito Powder, LLC, 3600 Osuna Rd NE Ste 309, Albuquerque, NM, 87109, USA
| | - Kateryna Artyushkova
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, University of New Mexico, USA
| | - Plamen Atanassov
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, University of New Mexico, USA
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
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27
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Activated carbon-supported multi-doped graphene as high-efficient catalyst to modify air cathode in microbial fuel cells. Electrochim Acta 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2019.02.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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28
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Rossi R, Cario BP, Santoro C, Yang W, Saikaly PE, Logan BE. Evaluation of Electrode and Solution Area-Based Resistances Enables Quantitative Comparisons of Factors Impacting Microbial Fuel Cell Performance. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:3977-3986. [PMID: 30810037 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Direct comparisons of microbial fuel cells based on maximum power densities are hindered by different reactor and electrode sizes, solution conductivities, and materials. We propose an alternative method here, the electrode potential slope (EPS) analysis, to enable quantitative comparisons based on anode and cathode area-based resistances and operating potentials. Using EPS analysis, the brush anode resistance ( RAn = 10.6 ± 0.5 mΩ m2) was shown to be 28% lower than the resistance of a 70% porosity diffusion layer (70% DL) cathode ( RCat = 14.8 ± 0.9 mΩ m2) and 24% lower than the solution resistance ( RΩ = 14 mΩ m2) (acetate in a 50 mM phosphate buffer solution). Using a less porous cathode (30% DL) did not impact the cathode resistance but did reduce the cathode performance due to a lower operating potential. With low-conductivity domestic wastewater ( RΩ = 87 mΩ m2), both electrodes had higher resistances [ RAn = 75 ± 9 mΩ m2, and RCat = 54 ± 7 mΩ m2 (70% DL)]. Our analysis of the literature using EPS analysis shows how electrode resistances can easily be quantified to compare system performance when the electrode distances are changed or the sizes of the electrodes are different.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruggero Rossi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Benjamin P Cario
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Carlo Santoro
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM) , University of New Mexico , Advanced Materials Lab, 1001 University Boulevard Southeast, Suite 103 , MSC 04 2790, Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131 , United States
| | - Wulin Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Pascal E Saikaly
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Water Desalination and Reuse Research Center , King Abdullah University of Science and Technology , Thuwal 23955-6900 , Saudi Arabia
| | - Bruce E Logan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
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29
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Logan BE, Rossi R, Ragab A, Saikaly PE. Electroactive microorganisms in bioelectrochemical systems. Nat Rev Microbiol 2019; 17:307-319. [DOI: 10.1038/s41579-019-0173-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 546] [Impact Index Per Article: 109.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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30
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Song X, Yang W, Lin Z, Huang L, Quan X. A loop of catholyte effluent feeding to bioanodes for complete recovery of Sn, Fe, and Cu with simultaneous treatment of the co-present organics in microbial fuel cells. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 651:1698-1708. [PMID: 30317169 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A loop of catholyte effluent feeding to the bioanodes of air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs) achieved complete recovery of mixed Sn(II), Fe(II) and Cu(II), with simultaneous treatment of the co-present organics in synthetic wastewater of printed circuit boards (PrCBs). This in-situ utilization of caustic in the cathodes and the neutralization of acid in the anodes achieved superior metal recovery performance at an optimal hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24 h. Cathode chambers primarily removed Sn of 91 ± 4% (bottom: 74 ± 3%; electrode: 17 ± 1%), Fe of 89 ± 8% (bottom: 64 ± 4%; electrode: 25 ± 2%), and Cu of 92 ± 7% (electrode: 63 ± 5%; bottom: 29 ± 1%), compared to Sn of 9 ± 3% (electrode: 7 ± 1%; bottom: 2 ± 1%), Fe of 9 ± 3% (electrode: 8 ± 3%; bottom: 1 ± 0%), and Cu of 7 ± 3% (electrode: 4 ± 1%; bottom: 3 ± 1%) in the bioanodes. Bacterial communities on the anodes were well evolutionarily developed after the feeding of catholyte effluent, with the increase in abundance of Rhodopseudomonas and Geobacter, and the shift from Thiobacillus and Acinetobacter to Pseudomonas, Comamonas, Aeromonas and Azospira. This loop of cathodic effluent feeding to the bioanodes of MFCs may represent a unique method for complete metal recovery with simultaneous extraction of renewable electrical energy from the co-present organics. This study also offers new insights into the development of compact microbial electro-metallurgical processes for simultaneous recovery of value-added products from PrCBs processing wastewaters and accomplishing the national wastewater discharge standard for both metals and organics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Song
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Wulin Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America
| | - Zheqian Lin
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Liping Huang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
| | - Xie Quan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
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31
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-60 °C solution synthesis of atomically dispersed cobalt electrocatalyst with superior performance. Nat Commun 2019; 10:606. [PMID: 30723206 PMCID: PMC6363747 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08484-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperature can govern morphologies, structures and properties of products from synthesis in solution. A reaction in solution at low temperature may result in different materials than at higher temperature due to thermodynamics and kinetics of nuclei formation. Here, we report a low-temperature solution synthesis of atomically dispersed cobalt in a catalyst with superior performance. By using a water/alcohol mixed solvent with low freezing point, liquid-phase reduction of a cobalt precursor with hydrazine hydrate is realized at -60 °C. A higher energy barrier and a sluggish nucleation rate are achieved to suppress nuclei formation; thus atomically dispersed cobalt is successfully obtained in a catalyst for oxygen reduction with electrochemical performance superior to that of a Pt/C catalyst. Furthermore, the atomically dispersed cobalt catalyst is applied in a microbial fuel cell to obtain a high maximum power density (2550 ± 60 mW m-2) and no current drop upon operation for 820 h.
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32
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Rossi R, Jones D, Myung J, Zikmund E, Yang W, Gallego YA, Pant D, Evans PJ, Page MA, Cropek DM, Logan BE. Evaluating a multi-panel air cathode through electrochemical and biotic tests. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 148:51-59. [PMID: 30343198 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
To scale up microbial fuel cells (MFCs), larger cathodes need to be developed that can use air directly, rather than dissolved oxygen, and have good electrochemical performance. A new type of cathode design was examined here that uses a "window-pane" approach with fifteen smaller cathodes welded to a single conductive metal sheet to maintain good electrical conductivity across the cathode with an increase in total area. Abiotic electrochemical tests were conducted to evaluate the impact of the cathode size (exposed areas of 7 cm2, 33 cm2, and 6200 cm2) on performance for all cathodes having the same active catalyst material. Increasing the size of the exposed area of the electrodes to the electrolyte from 7 cm2 to 33 cm2 (a single cathode panel) decreased the cathode potential by 5%, and a further increase in size to 6200 cm2 using the multi-panel cathode reduced the electrode potential by 55% (at 0.6 A m-2), in a 50 mM phosphate buffer solution (PBS). In 85 L MFC tests with the largest cathode using wastewater as a fuel, the maximum power density based on polarization data was 0.083 ± 0.006 W m-2 using 22 brush anodes to fully cover the cathode, and 0.061 ± 0.003 W m-2 with 8 brush anodes (40% of cathode projected area) compared to 0.304 ± 0.009 W m-2 obtained in the 28 mL MFC. Recovering power from large MFCs will therefore be challenging, but several approaches identified in this study can be pursued to maintain performance when increasing the size of the electrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruggero Rossi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - David Jones
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Jaewook Myung
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, 75205, USA
| | - Emily Zikmund
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Wulin Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Yolanda Alvarez Gallego
- Separation & Conversion Technology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, Mol, 2400, Belgium
| | - Deepak Pant
- Separation & Conversion Technology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, Mol, 2400, Belgium
| | | | - Martin A Page
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, Champaign, IL, 61822, USA
| | - Donald M Cropek
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, Champaign, IL, 61822, USA
| | - Bruce E Logan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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Bhowmick GD, Kibena-Põldsepp E, Matisen L, Merisalu M, Kook M, Käärik M, Leis J, Sammelselg V, Ghangrekar MM, Tammeveski K. Multi-walled carbon nanotube and carbide-derived carbon supported metal phthalocyanines as cathode catalysts for microbial fuel cell applications. SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & FUELS 2019. [DOI: 10.1039/c9se00574a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Metal phthalocyanine (CoPc and FePc) modified MWCNT or CDC materials were explored as superior cathode catalysts for MFC technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. D. Bhowmick
- Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering
- Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
- India
| | | | - L. Matisen
- Institute of Physics
- University of Tartu
- 50411 Tartu
- Estonia
| | - M. Merisalu
- Institute of Chemistry
- University of Tartu
- 50411 Tartu
- Estonia
- Institute of Physics
| | - M. Kook
- Institute of Physics
- University of Tartu
- 50411 Tartu
- Estonia
| | - M. Käärik
- Institute of Chemistry
- University of Tartu
- 50411 Tartu
- Estonia
| | - J. Leis
- Institute of Chemistry
- University of Tartu
- 50411 Tartu
- Estonia
| | - V. Sammelselg
- Institute of Chemistry
- University of Tartu
- 50411 Tartu
- Estonia
- Institute of Physics
| | - M. M. Ghangrekar
- Department of Civil Engineering
- Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
- India
| | - K. Tammeveski
- Institute of Chemistry
- University of Tartu
- 50411 Tartu
- Estonia
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Novel multi walled carbon nanotube based nitrogen impregnated Co and Fe cathode catalysts for improved microbial fuel cell performance. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.10.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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35
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Mecheri B, Gokhale R, Santoro C, Costa de Oliveira MA, D’Epifanio A, Licoccia S, Serov A, Artyushkova K, Atanassov P. Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalysts Derived from Iron Salt and Benzimidazole and Aminobenzimidazole Precursors and Their Application in Microbial Fuel Cell Cathodes. ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS 2018; 1:5755-5765. [PMID: 30406217 PMCID: PMC6199672 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.8b01360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In this work, benzimidazole (BZIM) and aminobenzimidazole (ABZIM) were used as organic-rich in nitrogen precursors during the synthesis of iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe-N-C) based catalysts by sacrificial support method (SSM) technique. The catalysts obtained, denoted Fe-ABZIM and Fe-BZIM, were characterized morphologically and chemically through SEM, TEM, and XPS. Moreover, these catalysts were initially tested in rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) configuration, resulting in similar high electrocatalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) having low hydrogen peroxide generated (<3%). The ORR performance was significantly higher compared to activated carbon (AC) that was the control. The catalysts were then integrated into air-breathing (AB) and gas diffusion layer (GDL) cathode electrode and tested in operating microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The presence of Fe-N-C catalysts boosted the power output compared to AC cathode MFC. The AB-type cathode outperformed the GDL type cathode probably because of reduced catalyst layer flooding. The highest performance obtained in this work was 162 ± 3 μWcm-2. Fe-ABZIM and Fe-BZIM had similar performance when incorporated to the same type of cathode configuration. Long-term operations show a decrease up to 50% of the performance in two months operations. Despite the power output decrease, the Fe-BZIM/Fe-ABZIM catalysts gave a significant advantage in fuel cell performance compared to the bare AC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Mecheri
- Department
of Chemical Science and Technologies, University
of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy
- E-mail: . Phone: +39 06 7259 4488
| | - Rohan Gokhale
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered
Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, University of New Mexico, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Carlo Santoro
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered
Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, University of New Mexico, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
- E-mail: . Phone: +1 505 277 2640
| | - Maida Aysla Costa de Oliveira
- Department
of Chemical Science and Technologies, University
of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra D’Epifanio
- Department
of Chemical Science and Technologies, University
of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Licoccia
- Department
of Chemical Science and Technologies, University
of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Alexey Serov
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered
Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, University of New Mexico, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Kateryna Artyushkova
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered
Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, University of New Mexico, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Plamen Atanassov
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered
Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, University of New Mexico, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
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36
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Liu Y, Liu ZM. Promoted activity of nitrogen-doped activated carbon as a highly efficient oxygen reduction catalyst in microbial fuel cells. J APPL ELECTROCHEM 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10800-018-1263-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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37
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Jung SP, Kim E, Koo B. Effects of wire-type and mesh-type anode current collectors on performance and electrochemistry of microbial fuel cells. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 209:542-550. [PMID: 29945047 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.06.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Carbon-based material is commonly used for anodes in MFCs, but its low conductivity often limits anodic performance. Application of corrosion-resistive current collector to carbon-based anode can be a promising strategy for increasing the anodic performance. In this study, it was hypothesized increasing metal current collector improved anodic performance. Two different carbon-felt anodes with titanium wires (CF-W) or stainless steel mesh (CF-M) as a current collector were tested in a single chamber MFC. In the short-term tests such as polarization and impedance tests, CF-M with the larger current collector area (21.7 cm2) had 33% higher maximum power (2311 mW/m2), 81% lower anodic resistance (3 Ω), and 92% lower anodic impedance (1.1 Ω). However, in the long-term tests, CF-W with the smaller current collector area (0.6 cm2) showed higher performance in power and current generation, COD removal, and CE (51%, 10%, 11%, and 5% higher, respectively) and produced 41% higher net current in cyclic voltagramm (20.0 mA vs. 14.2 mA). This result shows that larger current collector is advantageous in short-term performance and disadvantageous in long-term performance, because the larger current collector is good for current collection, but interferes with mass transfer and microbial growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sokhee P Jung
- Department of Environment and Energy Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Eojin Kim
- Department of Environment and Energy Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Bonyoung Koo
- Department of Environment and Energy Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
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38
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Logan BE, Zikmund E, Yang W, Rossi R, Kim KY, Saikaly PE, Zhang F. Impact of Ohmic Resistance on Measured Electrode Potentials and Maximum Power Production in Microbial Fuel Cells. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:8977-8985. [PMID: 29965737 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b02055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Low solution conductivity is known to adversely impact power generation in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), but its impact on measured electrode potentials has often been neglected in the reporting of electrode potentials. While errors in the working electrode (typically the anode) are usually small, larger errors can result in reported counter electrode potentials (typically the cathode) due to large distances between the reference and working electrodes or the use of whole cell voltages to calculate counter electrode potentials. As shown here, inaccurate electrode potentials impact conclusions concerning factors limiting power production in MFCs at higher current densities. To demonstrate how the electrochemical measurements should be adjusted using the solution conductivity, electrode potentials were estimated in MFCs with brush anodes placed close to the cathode (1 cm) or with flat felt anodes placed further from the cathode (3 cm) to avoid oxygen crossover to the anodes. The errors in the cathode potential for MFCs with brush anodes reached 94 mV using acetate in a 50 mM phosphate buffer solution. With a felt anode and acetate, cathode potential errors increased to 394 mV. While brush anode MFCs produced much higher power densities than flat anode MFCs under these conditions, this better performance was shown primarily to result from electrode spacing following correction of electrode potentials. Brush anode potentials corrected for solution conductivity were the same for brushes set 1 or 3 cm from the cathode, although the range of current produced was different due to ohmic losses with the larger distance. These results demonstrate the critical importance of using corrected electrode potentials to understand factors limiting power production in MFCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce E Logan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Emily Zikmund
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Wulin Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Ruggero Rossi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Kyoung-Yeol Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Pascal E Saikaly
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Water Desalination and Reuse Research Center , King Abdullah University of Science and Technology , Thuwal 23955-6900 , Saudi Arabia
| | - Fang Zhang
- School of Environment and State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control , Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084 , China
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Erable B, Oliot M, Lacroix R, Bergel A, Serov A, Kodali M, Santoro C, Atanassov P. Iron-Nicarbazin derived platinum group metal-free electrocatalyst in scalable-size air-breathing cathodes for microbial fuel cells. Electrochim Acta 2018; 277:127-135. [PMID: 29970929 PMCID: PMC6004532 DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2018.04.190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In this work, a platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) catalyst based on iron as transitional metal and Nicarbazin (NCB) as low cost organic precursor was synthesized using Sacrificial Support Method (SSM). The catalyst was then incorporated into a large area air-breathing cathode fabricated by pressing with a large diameter pellet die. The electrochemical tests in abiotic conditions revealed that after a couple of weeks of successful operation, the electrode experienced drop in performances in reason of electrolyte leakage, which was not an issue with the smaller electrodes. A decrease in the hydrophobic properties over time and a consequent cathode flooding was suspected to be the cause. On the other side, in the present work, for the first time, it was demonstrated the proof of principle and provided initial guidance for manufacturing MFC electrodes with large geometric areas. The tests in MFCs showed a maximum power density of 1.85 W m-2. The MFCs performances due to the addition of Fe-NCB were much higher compared to the iron-free material. A numerical model using Nernst-Monod and Butler-Volmer equations were used to predict the effect of electrolyte solution conductivity and distance anode-cathode on the overall MFC power output. Considering the existing conditions, the higher overall power predicted was 3.6 mW at 22.2 S m-1 and at inter-electrode distance of 1 cm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Erable
- Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INP, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Manon Oliot
- Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INP, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Rémy Lacroix
- 6T-MIC Ingénieries, 9 rue du développement, 31320, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Alain Bergel
- Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INP, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Alexey Serov
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Mounika Kodali
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Carlo Santoro
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Plamen Atanassov
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Advanced Materials Lab, 1001 University Blvd. SE Suite 103, MSC 04 2790, University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
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Kim KY, Yang W, Logan BE. Regenerable Nickel-Functionalized Activated Carbon Cathodes Enhanced by Metal Adsorption to Improve Hydrogen Production in Microbial Electrolysis Cells. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:7131-7137. [PMID: 29845859 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b06005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
While nickel is a good alternative to platinum as a catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction, it is desirable to reduce the amount of nickel needed for cathodes in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). Activated carbon (AC) was investigated as a cathode base structure for Ni as it is inexpensive and an excellent adsorbent for Ni, and it has a high specific surface area. AC nickel-functionalized electrodes (AC-Ni) were prepared by incorporating Ni salts into AC by adsorption, followed by cathode fabrication using a phase inversion process using a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) binder. The AC-Ni cathodes had significantly higher (∼50%) hydrogen production rates than controls (plain AC) in smaller MECs (static flow conditions) over 30 days of operation, with no performance decrease over time. In larger MECs with catholyte recirculation, the AC-Ni cathode produced a slightly higher hydrogen production rate (1.1 ± 0.1 L-H2/Lreactor/day) than MECs with Ni foam (1.0 ± 0.1 L-H2/Lreactor/day). Ni dissolution tests showed that negligible amounts of Ni were lost into the electrolyte at pHs of 7 or 12, and the catalytic activity was restored by simple readsorption using a Ni salt solution when Ni was partially removed by an acid wash.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung-Yeol Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Wulin Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Bruce E Logan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 231Q Sackett Building , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
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Hiegemann H, Lübken M, Schulte P, Schmelz KG, Gredigk-Hoffmann S, Wichern M. Inhibition of microbial fuel cell operation for municipal wastewater treatment by impact loads of free ammonia in bench- and 45L-scale. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 624:34-39. [PMID: 29245036 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A 45-liter microbial fuel cell (MFC) system was integrated into a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The system was operated under practical conditions with supernatant of a pre-thickener for 50days in order to identify, whether higher power output and energy recovery is possible compared to the use of primary clarifier effluent, as used in a previous study. The higher COD (chemical oxygen demand) loading rates of supernatant neither increased power densities, nor energy recovery, but impact loads of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) in concentrations >800mg/L (free ammonia nitrogen (FAN)>40mg/L) led to an instant collapse of power output and nutrient removal, which was reversed when ammonia concentrations decreased. Investigations in lab-scale under defined conditions verified that the inhibition of the exoelectrogenic biofilm is in fact caused by high levels of FAN. Here, COD removal, power output and energy recovery constantly decreased, when FAN-concentrations were increased above 64mg/L.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heinz Hiegemann
- Institute of Urban Water Management and Environmental Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Manfred Lübken
- Institute of Urban Water Management and Environmental Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Patrick Schulte
- Emschergenossenschaft (EG), Kronprinzenstr. 24, 45128 Essen, Germany
| | | | - Sylvia Gredigk-Hoffmann
- Research Institute for Water and Waste Management at RWTH Aachen (FiW) e.V., Kackertstr. 15-17, 52072 Aachen, Germany
| | - Marc Wichern
- Institute of Urban Water Management and Environmental Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
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42
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Huang L, Lin Z, Quan X, Zhao Q, Yang W, Logan BE. Efficient In Situ Utilization of Caustic for Sequential Recovery and Separation of Sn, Fe, and Cu in Microbial Fuel Cells. ChemElectroChem 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.201800431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Liping Huang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology; Dalian University of Technology; Dalian 116024 China
| | - Zheqian Lin
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology; Dalian University of Technology; Dalian 116024 China
| | - Xie Quan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology; Dalian University of Technology; Dalian 116024 China
| | - Qingliang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment; Harbin Institute of Technology; Harbin 150090 China
| | - Wulin Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania; 16802 USA
| | - Bruce E. Logan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania; 16802 USA
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43
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Abstract
Iron aminoantipyrine (Fe-AAPyr), graphene nanosheets (GNSs) derived catalysts and their physical mixture Fe-AAPyr-GNS were synthesized and investigated as cathode catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with the activated carbon (AC) as a baseline. Fe-AAPyr catalyst was prepared by Sacrificial Support Method (SSM) with silica as a template and aminoantipyrine (AAPyr) as the organic precursor. 3D-GNS was prepared using modified Hummers method technique. The Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) activity of these catalysts at different loadings was investigated by using rotating ring disk (RRDE) electrode setup in the neutral electrolyte. The performance of the catalysts integrated into air-breathing cathode was also investigated. The co-presence of GNS (2 mg cm−2) and Fe-AAPyr (2 mg cm−2) catalyst within the air-breathing cathode resulted in the higher power generation recorded in MFC of 235 ± 1 μW cm−2. Fe-AAPyr catalyst itself showed high performance (217 ± 1 μW cm−2), higher compared to GNS (150 ± 5 μW cm−2) while AC generated power of roughly 104 μW cm−2. Fe-AAPyr and GNS were synthesized and characterized. Rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) setup was performed in the neutral electrolyte. Fe-AAPyr had higher half wave potential and lower H2O2 production. The combination of Fe-AAPyr and GNS led to a power generation of 235 ± 1 μWcm−2. Both Fe-AAPyr and GNS outperformed compared to activated carbon control.
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Santoro C, Kodali M, Herrera S, Serov A, Ieropoulos I, Atanassov P. Power generation in microbial fuel cells using platinum group metal-free cathode catalyst: Effect of the catalyst loading on performance and costs. JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES 2018; 378:169-175. [PMID: 29527091 PMCID: PMC5840685 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) catalyst with different loadings was investigated in air breathing electrodes microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Firstly, the electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of the catalyst was investigated by rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) setup with different catalyst loadings. The results showed that higher loading led to an increased in the half wave potential and the limiting current and to a further decrease in the peroxide production. The electrons transferred also slightly increased with the catalyst loading up to the value of ≈3.75. This variation probably indicates that the catalyst investigated follow a 2x2e- transfer mechanism. The catalyst was integrated within activated carbon pellet-like air-breathing cathode in eight different loadings varying between 0.1 mgcm-2 and 10 mgcm-2. Performance were enhanced gradually with the increase in catalyst content. Power densities varied between 90 ± 9 μWcm-2 and 262 ± 4 μWcm-2 with catalyst loading of 0.1 mgcm-2 and 10 mgcm-2 respectively. Cost assessments related to the catalyst performance are presented. An increase in catalyst utilization led to an increase in power generated with a substantial increase in the whole costs. Also a decrease in performance due to cathode/catalyst deterioration over time led to a further increase in the costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Santoro
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), MSC01 1120 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA
| | - Mounika Kodali
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), MSC01 1120 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA
| | - Sergio Herrera
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), MSC01 1120 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA
| | - Alexey Serov
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), MSC01 1120 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
- Biological, Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Plamen Atanassov
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), MSC01 1120 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA
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Microbial desalination cell with sulfonated sodium poly(ether ether ketone) as cation exchange membranes for enhancing power generation and salt reduction. Bioelectrochemistry 2018; 121:176-184. [PMID: 29459302 PMCID: PMC6344780 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Microbial desalination cell (MDC) is a bioelectrochemical system capable of oxidizing organics, generating electricity, while reducing the salinity content of brine streams. As it is designed, anion and cation exchange membranes play an important role on the selective removal of ions from the desalination chamber. In this work, sulfonated sodium (Na+) poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) cation exchange membranes (CEM) were tested in combination with quaternary ammonium chloride poly(2,6-dimethyl 1,4-phenylene oxide) (QAPPO) anion exchange membrane (AEM). Non-patterned and patterned (varying topographical features) CEMs were investigated and assessed in this work. The results were contrasted against a commercially available CEM. This work used real seawater from the Pacific Ocean in the desalination chamber. The results displayed a high desalination rate and power generation for all the membranes, with a maximum of 78.6 ± 2.0% in salinity reduction and 235 ± 7 mW m−2 in power generation for the MDCs with the SPEEK CEM. Desalination rate and power generation achieved are higher with synthesized SPEEK membranes when compared with an available commercial CEM. An optimized combination of these types of membranes substantially improves the performances of MDC, making the system more suitable for real applications. Thin and more conductive cation exchange membranes were employed in MDCs. CEMs with different topographical patterns were investigated. Maximum power achievement in MDC was 235 ± 7 mW m−2. Maximum desalination achieved was 78.6 ± 2% over 3 days operations. SPEEK CEM membranes outperformed commercial membranes.
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Yang W, Rossi R, Tian Y, Kim KY, Logan BE. Mitigating external and internal cathode fouling using a polymer bonded separator in microbial fuel cells. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2018; 249:1080-1084. [PMID: 29137930 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.10.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathodes rapidly foul when treating domestic wastewater, substantially reducing power production over time. Here a wipe separator was chemically bonded to an activated carbon air cathode using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to mitigate cathode fouling and extend cathode performance over time. MFCs with separator-bonded cathodes produced a maximum power density of 190 ± 30 mW m-2 after 2 months of operation using domestic wastewater, which was ∼220% higher than controls (60 ± 50 mW m-2) with separators that were not chemically bonded to the cathode. Less biomass (protein) was measured on the bonded separator surface than the non-bonded separator, indicating chemical bonding reduced external bio-fouling. Salt precipitation that contributed to internal fouling was also reduced using separator-bonded cathodes. Overall, the separator-bonded cathodes showed better performance over time by mitigating both external bio-fouling and internal salt fouling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wulin Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Ruggero Rossi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Yushi Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Kyoung-Yeol Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Bruce E Logan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
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Gajda I, Greenman J, Santoro C, Serov A, Melhuish C, Atanassov P, Ieropoulos IA. Improved power and long term performance of microbial fuel cell with Fe-N-C catalyst in air-breathing cathode. ENERGY (OXFORD, ENGLAND) 2018; 144:1073-1079. [PMID: 29456285 PMCID: PMC5807896 DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2017.11.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Power output limitation is one of the main challenges that needs to be addressed for full-scale applications of the Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) technology. Previous studies have examined electrochemical performance of different cathode electrodes including the development of novel iron based electrocatalysts, however the long-term investigation into continuously operating systems is rare. This work aims to study the application of platinum group metals-free (PGM-free) catalysts integrated into an air-breathing cathode of the microbial fuel cell operating on activated sewage sludge and supplemented with acetate as the carbon energy source. The maximum power density up to 1.3 Wm-2 (54 Wm-3) obtained with iron aminoantipyrine (Fe-AAPyr) catalyst is the highest reported in this type of MFC and shows stability and improvement in long term operation when continuously operated on wastewater. It also investigates the ability of this catalyst to facilitate water extraction from the anode and electroosmotic production of clean catholyte. The electrochemical kinetic extraction of catholyte in the cathode chamber shows correlation with power performance and produces a newly synthesised solution with a high pH > 13, suggesting caustic content. This shows an active electrolytic treatment of wastewater by active ionic and pH splitting in an electricity producing MFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Gajda
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
- Corresponding author. Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK.Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics LaboratoryUniversity of the West of EnglandBS16 1QYUK
| | - John Greenman
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
- Biological, Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Carlo Santoro
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Alexey Serov
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Chris Melhuish
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Plamen Atanassov
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Ioannis A. Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
- Biological, Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
- Corresponding author. Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK.Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics LaboratoryUniversity of the West of EnglandBS16 1QYUK
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Santoro C, Rojas-Carbonell S, Awais R, Gokhale R, Kodali M, Serov A, Artyushkova K, Atanassov P. Influence of platinum group metal-free catalyst synthesis on microbial fuel cell performance. JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES 2018; 375:11-20. [PMID: 29398775 PMCID: PMC5738968 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) ORR catalysts from the Fe-N-C family were synthesized using sacrificial support method (SSM) technique. Six experimental steps were used during the synthesis: 1) mixing the precursor, the metal salt, and the silica template; 2) first pyrolysis in hydrogen rich atmosphere; 3) ball milling; 4) etching the silica template using harsh acids environment; 5) the second pyrolysis in ammonia rich atmosphere; 6) final ball milling. Three independent batches were fabricated following the same procedure. The effect of each synthetic parameters on the surface chemistry and the electrocatalytic performance in neutral media was studied. Rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) experiment showed an increase in half wave potential and limiting current after the pyrolysis steps. The additional improvement was observed after etching and performing the second pyrolysis. A similar trend was seen in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), in which the power output increased from 167 ± 2 μW cm-2 to 214 ± 5 μW cm-2. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was used to evaluate surface chemistry of catalysts obtained after each synthetic step. The changes in chemical composition were directly correlated with the improvements in performance. We report outstanding reproducibility in both composition and performance among the three different batches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Plamen Atanassov
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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49
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Moruno FL, Rubio JE, Santoro C, Atanassov P, Cerrato JM, Arges CG. Investigation of patterned and non-patterned poly(2,6-dimethyl 1,4-phenylene) oxide based anion exchange membranes for enhanced desalination and power generation in a microbial desalination cell. SOLID STATE IONICS 2018; 314:141-148. [PMID: 29456278 PMCID: PMC5810459 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssi.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Quaternary ammonium poly(2,6-dimethyl 1,4-phenylene oxide) (QAPPO) anion exchange membranes (AEMs) with topographically patterned surfaces were assessed in a microbial desalination cell (MDC) system. The MDC results with these QAPPO AEMs were benchmarked against a commercially available AEM. The MDC with the non-patterned QAPPO AEM (Q1) displayed the best desalination rate (a reduction of salinity by 53 ± 2.7%) and power generation (189 ± 5 mW m- 2) when compared against the commercially available AEM and the patterned AEMs. The enhanced performance with the Q1 AEM was attributed to its higher ionic conductivity and smaller thickness leading to a reduced area specific resistance. It is important to note that Real Pacific Ocean seawater and activated sludge were used into the desalination chamber and anode chamber respectively for the MDC - which mimicked realistic conditions. Although the non-patterned QAPPO AEM displayed better performance over the patterned QAPPO AEMs, it was observed that the anodic overpotential was smaller when the MDCs featured QAPPO AEMs with larger lateral feature sizes. The results from this study have important implications for the continuous improvements necessary for developing cheaper and better performing membranes in order to optimize the MDC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Lopez Moruno
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Center Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Juan E. Rubio
- Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Carlo Santoro
- Center Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Plamen Atanassov
- Center Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM), Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - José M. Cerrato
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Christopher G. Arges
- Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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50
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Liu W, Cheng S, Yin L, Sun Y, Yu L. Influence of soluble microbial products on the long-term stability of air cathodes in microbial fuel cells. Electrochim Acta 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2017.12.154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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