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Marrocchi A, Cerza E, Chandrasekaran S, Sgreccia E, Kaciulis S, Vaccaro L, Syahputra S, Vacandio F, Knauth P, Di Vona ML. Hydrochar from Pine Needles as a Green Alternative for Catalytic Electrodes in Energy Applications. Molecules 2024; 29:3286. [PMID: 39064865 PMCID: PMC11278999 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29143286] [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: 05/25/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) serves as a sustainable method to transform pine needle waste into nitrogen-doped (N-doped) hydrochars. The primary focus is on evaluating these hydrochars as catalytic electrodes for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR), which are pivotal processes with significant environmental implications. Hydrochars were synthesized by varying the parameters such as nitrogen loading, temperature, and residence time. These materials were then thoroughly characterized using diverse analytical techniques, including elemental analysis, density measurements, BET surface area analysis, and spectroscopies like Raman, FTIR, and XPS, along with optical and scanning electron microscopies. The subsequent electrochemical assessment involved preparing electrocatalytic inks by combining hydrochars with an anion exchange ionomer (AEI) to leverage their synergistic effects. To the best of our knowledge, there are no previous reports on catalytic electrodes that simultaneously incorporate both a hydrochar and AEI. Evaluation metrics such as current densities, onset and half-wave potentials, and Koutecky-Levich and Tafel plots provided insights into their electrocatalytic performances. Notably, hydrochars synthesized at 230 °C exhibited an onset potential of 0.92 V vs. RHE, marking the highest reported value for a hydrochar. They also facilitated the exchange of four electrons at 0.26 V vs. RHE in the ORR. Additionally, the CO2RR yielded valuable C2 products like acetaldehyde and acetate. These findings highlight the remarkable electrocatalytic activity of the optimized hydrochars, which could be attributed, at least in part, to their optimal porosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assunta Marrocchi
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy; (E.C.); (L.V.)
| | - Elisa Cerza
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy; (E.C.); (L.V.)
| | - Suhas Chandrasekaran
- Tor Vergata University of Rome, Department Industrial Engineering and International Laboratory: Ionomer Materials for Energy (LIME), 00133 Roma, Italy; (S.C.); (E.S.)
| | - Emanuela Sgreccia
- Tor Vergata University of Rome, Department Industrial Engineering and International Laboratory: Ionomer Materials for Energy (LIME), 00133 Roma, Italy; (S.C.); (E.S.)
| | - Saulius Kaciulis
- Institute for the Study of Nanostructured Materials, ISMN-CNR, Monterotondo Stazione, 00015 Roma, Italy;
| | - Luigi Vaccaro
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy; (E.C.); (L.V.)
| | - Suanto Syahputra
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, MADIREL (UMR 7246) and International Laboratory: Ionomer Materials for Energy (LIME), Campus St Jérôme, 13013 Marseille, France; (S.S.); (F.V.); (P.K.)
| | - Florence Vacandio
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, MADIREL (UMR 7246) and International Laboratory: Ionomer Materials for Energy (LIME), Campus St Jérôme, 13013 Marseille, France; (S.S.); (F.V.); (P.K.)
| | - Philippe Knauth
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, MADIREL (UMR 7246) and International Laboratory: Ionomer Materials for Energy (LIME), Campus St Jérôme, 13013 Marseille, France; (S.S.); (F.V.); (P.K.)
| | - Maria Luisa Di Vona
- Tor Vergata University of Rome, Department Industrial Engineering and International Laboratory: Ionomer Materials for Energy (LIME), 00133 Roma, Italy; (S.C.); (E.S.)
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Lan R, Liu L, Feng H, Chen BY, Shi X, Hong J. Boron-doped reduced graphene oxide as an efficient cathode in microbial fuel cells for biological toxicity detection. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 403:130883. [PMID: 38788807 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Electrodes with superior stability and sensitivity are highly desirable in advancing the toxicity detection efficiency of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Herein, boron-doped reduced graphene oxide (B-rGO) was synthesized and utilized as an efficient cathode candidate in an MFCs system for sensitive sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) detection. Boron doping introduces additional defects and improves the dispersibility and oxygen permeability, thereby enhancing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) efficiency. The B-rGO-based cathode has demonstrated significantly improved output voltage and power density, marking improvements of 75 % and 58 % over their undoped counterparts, respectively. Furthermore, it also exhibited remarkable linear sensitivity to SDBS concentrations across a broad range (0.2-15 mg/L). Notably, the cathode maintained excellent stability within the test range and showed significant reversibility for SDBS concentrations between 0.2 and 3 mg/L. The highly sensitive and stable B-rGO-based cathode is inspiring for developing more practical and cost-effective toxicant sensing devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruisong Lan
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, China; Xiamen Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Biochemical Treatment, Xiamen 361021, China; Fujian Provincial Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Biochemical Treatment (Huaqiao University), Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Lihua Liu
- Fujian Xiamen Environmental Monitoring Central Station, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Han Feng
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, China; Xiamen Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Biochemical Treatment, Xiamen 361021, China; Fujian Provincial Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Biochemical Treatment (Huaqiao University), Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Bor-Yann Chen
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National I-Lan University, I-Lan, 26047, Taiwan
| | - Xiuding Shi
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, China; Xiamen Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Biochemical Treatment, Xiamen 361021, China; Fujian Provincial Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Biochemical Treatment (Huaqiao University), Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Junming Hong
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, China; Xiamen Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Biochemical Treatment, Xiamen 361021, China; Fujian Provincial Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Biochemical Treatment (Huaqiao University), Xiamen 361021, China.
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Maan KS, Gajbhiye P, Sharma A, Al-Gheethi AA. Efficient anode material derived from nutshells for bio-energy production in microbial fuel cell. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 364:121422. [PMID: 38878572 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Biochar is a carbonaceous solid that is prepared through thermo-chemical decomposition of biomass under an inert atmosphere. The present study compares the performance of biochar prepared from Peanut shell, coconut shell and walnut shell in dual chamber microbial fuel cell. The physicochemical and electrochemical analysis of biochar reveals that prepared biochar is macroporous, amorphous, biocompatible, and electrochemically conductive. Polarization studies show that Peanut shell biochar (PSB) exhibited a maximum power density of 165 mW/m2 followed by Coconut shell biochar (CSB) Activated Charcoal (AC) and Walnut shell biochar (WSB). Enhanced power density of PSB was attributed to its surface area and suitable pore size distribution which proved conducive for biofilm formation. Furthermore, the high electrical capacitance of PSB improved the electron transfer between microbes and anode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan Singh Maan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Physical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, 144411, India; Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering and Physical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, 144411, India
| | - Pratima Gajbhiye
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Physical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, 144411, India.
| | - Ajit Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering and Physical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, 144411, India.
| | - Adel-Ali Al-Gheethi
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), University of Newcastle and CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), Newcastle, Australia
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Sun F, Chen J, Sun Z, Zheng X, Tang M, Yang Y. Promoting bioremediation of brewery wastewater, production of bioelectricity and microbial community shift by sludge microbial fuel cells using biochar as anode. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 929:172418. [PMID: 38631622 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Seeking low-cost and eco-friendly electrode catalyst of microbial fuel cell (MFC) reactor has received extensive attention in recent decades. In this study, a sludge MFC was coupled with biochar-modified-anode (BC-300, BC-400, and BC-500) for actual brewery wastewater treatment. The physicochemical properties of biochar largely depended on the pyrolysis temperature, further affecting the removal efficiency of wastewater indicators. BC-400 MFC proved to be efficient for TN and NH4+-N removal, while the maximum removal efficiencies of COD and TP were achieved by BC-500 MFC, reaching respectively 97.14 % and 89.67 %. Biochar could promote the degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in wastewater by increasing the electrochemical performances of MFC. The maximum output voltage of BC-400 MFC reached 410.24 mV, and the maximum electricity generation of 108.05 mW/m2 was also obtained, surpassing the pristine MFC (BCC-MFC) by 4.67 times. High-throughput sequencing results illustrated that the enrichment of electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) and functional bacteria (Longilinea, Denitratisoma, and Pseudomonas) in BC-MFCs, contributed to pollutants degradation and electron transfer. Furthermore, biochar affected directly the electrical conductivity of wastewater, simultaneously changing microbial community composition of MFC anode. Considering both enhanced removal efficiency of pollutants and increased power generation, the results of this study would offer technical reference for the application of biochar as MFC catalyst for brewery wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengfei Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Junfeng Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China.
| | - Ziren Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Xingjia Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Meizhen Tang
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China
| | - Yuewei Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, PR China.
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Singh R, Lindenberger C, Chawade A, Vivekanand V. Unveiling the microwave heating performance of biochar as microwave absorber for microwave-assisted pyrolysis technology. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9222. [PMID: 38649433 PMCID: PMC11035662 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59738-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Microwave (MW) heating has gained significant attention in food industries and biomass-to-biofuels through pyrolysis over conventional heating. However, constraints for promoting MW heating related to the use of different MW absorbers are still a major concern that needs to be investigated. The present study was conducted to explore the MW heating performance of biochar as a low-cost MW absorber for performing pyrolysis. Experiments were performed on biochar under different biochar dosing (25 g, 37.5 g, 50 g), MW power (400 W, 700 W, 1000 W), and particle sizes (6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm). Results showed that MW power and biochar dosing significantly impacted average heating rate (AHR) from 17.5 to 65.4 °C/min at 400 W and 1000 W at 50 g. AHR first increased, and then no significant changes were obtained, from 37.5 to 50 g. AHR was examined by full factorial design, with 94.6% fitting actual data with predicted data. The model suggested that the particle size of biochar influenced less on AHR. Furthermore, microwave absorption efficiency and biochar weight loss were investigated, and microwave absorption efficiency decreased as MW power increased, which means 17.16% of microwave absorption efficiency was achieved at 400 W rather than 700 W and 1000 W. Biochar weight loss estimated by employing mass-balance analysis, 2-10.4% change in biochar weight loss was obtained owing to higher heating rates at higher powers and biochar dosing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rickwinder Singh
- Centre for Energy and Environment, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 302017, India
| | - Christoph Lindenberger
- University of Applied Sciences Amberg-Weiden, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring 23, 92224, Amberg, Germany
| | - Aakash Chawade
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 23053, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Vivekanand Vivekanand
- Centre for Energy and Environment, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 302017, India.
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Amalina F, Krishnan S, Zularisam AW, Nasrullah M. Pristine and modified biochar applications as multifunctional component towards sustainable future: Recent advances and new insights. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 914:169608. [PMID: 38157898 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Employing biomass for environmental conservation is regarded as a successful and environmentally friendly technique since they are cost-effective, renewable, and abundant. Biochar (BC), a thermochemically converted biomass, has a considerably lower production cost than the other conventional activated carbons. This material's distinctive properties, including a high carbon content, good electrical conductivity (EC), high stability, and a large surface area, can be utilized in various research fields. BC is feasible as a renewable source for potential applications that may achieve a comprehensive economic niche. Despite being an inexpensive and environmentally sustainable product, research has indicated that pristine BC possesses restricted properties that prevent it from fulfilling the intended remediation objectives. Consequently, modifications must be made to BC to strengthen its physicochemical properties and, thereby, its efficacy in decontaminating the environment. Modified BC, an enhanced iteration of BC, has garnered considerable interest within academia. Many modification techniques have been suggested to augment BC's functionality, including its adsorption and immobilization reliability. Modified BC is overviewed in its production, functionality, applications, and regeneration. This work provides a holistic review of the recent advances in synthesizing modified BC through physical, chemical, or biological methods to achieve enhanced performance in a specific application, which has generated considerable research interest. Surface chemistry modifications require the initiation of surface functional groups, which can be accomplished through various techniques. Therefore, the fundamental objective of these modification techniques is to improve the efficacy of BC contaminant removal, typically through adjustments in its physical or chemical characteristics, including surface area or functionality. In addition, this article summarized and discussed the applications and related mechanisms of modified BC in environmental decontamination, focusing on applying it as an ideal adsorbent, soil amendment, catalyst, electrochemical device, and anaerobic digestion (AD) promoter. Current research trends, future directions, and academic demands were available in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah Amalina
- Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), Lbh Persiaran Tun Khalil Yaakob, 26300 Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Santhana Krishnan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
| | - A W Zularisam
- Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), Lbh Persiaran Tun Khalil Yaakob, 26300 Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Nasrullah
- Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), Lbh Persiaran Tun Khalil Yaakob, 26300 Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.
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