Synthesis of Iron Oxide/Partly Graphitized Carbon Composites as a High-Efficiency and Low-Cost Cathode Catalyst for Microbial Fuel Cells

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (16) ◽  
pp. 13438-13447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Ma ◽  
Ying Dai ◽  
Jin-long Zou ◽  
Lei Wang ◽  
Kai Pan ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Cam-Anh Thieu ◽  
Sungeun Yang ◽  
Ho-Il Ji ◽  
Hyoungchul Kim ◽  
Kyung Joong Yoon ◽  
...  

Thin-film solid oxide fuel cells (TF-SOFCs) effectively lower the operating temperature of typical solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) below 600 °C, while maintaining high efficiency and using low-cost catalyst. But...


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 574
Author(s):  
Emilius Sudirjo ◽  
Paola Y. Constantino Diaz ◽  
Matteo Cociancich ◽  
Rens Lisman ◽  
Christian Snik ◽  
...  

Large-scale implementation of (plant) microbial fuel cells is greatly limited by high electrode costs. In this work, the potential of exploiting electrochemically active self-assembled biofilms in fabricating three-dimensional bioelectrodes for (plant) microbial fuel cells with minimum use of electrode materials was studied. Three-dimensional robust bioanodes were successfully developed with inexpensive polyurethane foams (PU) and activated carbon (AC). The PU/AC electrode bases were fabricated via a water-based sorption of AC particles on the surface of the PU cubes. The electrical current was enhanced by growth of bacteria on the PU/AC bioanode while sole current collectors produced minor current. Growth and electrochemical activity of the biofilm were shown with SEM imaging and DNA sequencing of the microbial community. The electric conductivity of the PU/AC electrode enhanced over time during bioanode development. The maximum current and power density of an acetate fed MFC reached 3 mA·m−2 projected surface area of anode compartment and 22 mW·m−3 anode compartment. The field test of the Plant-MFC reached a maximum performance of 0.9 mW·m−2 plant growth area (PGA) at a current density of 5.6 mA·m−2 PGA. A paddy field test showed that the PU/AC electrode was suitable as an anode material in combination with a graphite felt cathode. Finally, this study offers insights on the role of electrochemically active biofilms as natural enhancers of the conductivity of electrodes and as transformers of inert low-cost electrode materials into living electron acceptors.


2014 ◽  
Vol 114 ◽  
pp. 253-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chakavak Esmaeili ◽  
Mostafa Ghasemi ◽  
Lee Yook Heng ◽  
Sedky H.A. Hassan ◽  
Mahnaz M. Abdi ◽  
...  

MRS Advances ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (53) ◽  
pp. 3171-3179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indrasis Das ◽  
Md. T. Noori ◽  
Gourav Dhar Bhowmick ◽  
M.M. Ghangrekar

ABSTRACTOverpotential losses on cathode during oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) causes serious performance depletion in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). High cost of existing platinum based noble catalysts is one of the main reason for growing interest in the research of low cost sustainable cathode catalysts to improve ORR in order to enhance power generation from MFCs. The present study demonstrates application of low-cost bimetallic ferrite, Co0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4, as a cathode catalyst in MFC. The electrochemical tests of cathode having this catalyst revealed an excellent cathodic current response of 25.76 mA with less charge transfer resistance of 0.7 mΩ, showing remarkable catalytic activity. The MFC using this catalyst on cathode could generate a power density of 172.1 ± 5.2 mW/m2, which was found to be about 10 times higher than the power density of 15.2 ± 1.3 mW/m2 obtained from a MFC using only acetelyne black (AB) on cathode and noted even higher than the power density produced by MFC with Pt/C cathode (151.3 ± 2.8 mW/m2). In addition, the wastewater treatment in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of MFC with Co0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 on cathode was found to be better (87 %) among the tested MFCs. Hence, the results obtained from this study illustrates the applicability of Co0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 as an excellent and suitable cathode catalyst for scaling up of MFCs.


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