Does bioelectrochemical cell configuration and anode potential affect biofilm response?

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1308-1314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Kumar ◽  
Krishna Katuri ◽  
Piet Lens ◽  
Dónal Leech
Keyword(s):  
Electron Transfer ◽  
Solid Surface ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Microbial Growth ◽  
Electron Flow ◽  
Atp Synthesis ◽  
Anode Potential ◽  
Microbial Electrolysis Cells ◽  
Cell Configuration ◽  
Wide Range

Electrochemical gradients are the backbone of basic cellular functions, including chemo-osmotic transport and ATP synthesis. Microbial growth, terminal respiratory proteins and external electron transfer are major pathways competing for electrons. In BESs (bioelectrochemical systems), such as MFCs (microbial fuel cells), the electron flow can be via soluble inorganic/organic molecules or to a solid surface. The flow of electrons towards a solid surface can be via outer-membrane cytochromes or electron-shuttle molecules, mediated by conductive protein nanowires or extracellular matrices. In MECs (microbial electrolysis cells), the anode potential can vary over a wide range, which alters the thermodynamic energy available for bacteria capable of donating electrons to the electrode [termed EAB (electroactive bacteria)]. Thus the anode potential is an important electrochemical parameter determining the growth, electron distribution/transfer and electrical activity of films of these bacteria on electrodes. Different optimal applied potentials to anodes have been suggested in the literature, for selection for microbial growth, diversity and performance in biofilms on electrodes. In the present paper, we review the effects of anode potentials on electron-transfer properties of such biofilms, and report on the effect that electrochemical cell configuration may have on performance.

Anode and cathode materials characterization for a microbial fuel cell in half cell configuration

2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 2457-2461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepak Pant ◽  
Gilbert Van Bogaert ◽  
Christof Porto-Carrero ◽  
Ludo Diels ◽  
Karolien Vanbroekhoven
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Carbon Cloth ◽  
Half Cell ◽  
Renewable Biomass ◽  
Cell Configuration ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Complex Organic ◽  
Stable Current

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are novel bioelectrochemical devices for spontaneous conversion of biomass into electricity through the metabolic activity of the bacteria. Microbial production of electricity may become an important source of bioenergy in future because MFCs offer the possibility of extracting electric current from a wide range of soluble or dissolved complex organic wastes and renewable biomass. However, the materials used in these devices are still not economic and researchers use different materials as cathode and anode in MFCs. This results in variable performance which is difficult to compare. We tested several commercially available materials for their suitability as anode in an acetate fed MFC. Besides, a novel non-platinized activated carbon (AC) based, gas porous air cathode was also tested. Both the anode and cathode were tested in a half cell configuration. Carbon cloth, graphite cloth and dynamically stable anode (DSA) served as ideal anode material with carbon cloth and graphite mesh reaching the open circuit voltage (OCV) of acetate oxidation (−500 mV vs. Ag/AgCl). The effect of increasing concentration of acetate on anode OCV was also investigated and results showed that on increasing the acetate concentration from 10 mM to 40 mM has no adverse impact on the anodic activity towards electrochemical oxidation of acetate. The AC cathode showed stable current (−1.2 mA/cm2) over a period of 100 days.

scholarly journals Sustainable Syntheses and Sources of Nanomaterials for Microbial Fuel/Electrolysis Cell Applications: An Overview of Recent Progress

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1221
Author(s):  
Domenico Frattini ◽  
Gopalu Karunakaran ◽  
Eun-Bum Cho ◽  
Yongchai Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Noble Metals ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Nanoparticle Synthesis ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Electrolysis Cell ◽  
Microbial Electrolysis Cells ◽  
Electrolysis Cells ◽  
Bioenergy Generation ◽  
Valuable Compounds

The use of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is quickly spreading in the fields of bioenergy generation and wastewater treatment, as well as in the biosynthesis of valuable compounds for microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). MFCs and MECs have not been able to penetrate the market as economic feasibility is lost when their performances are boosted by nanomaterials. The nanoparticles used to realize or decorate the components (electrodes or the membrane) have expensive processing, purification, and raw resource costs. In recent decades, many studies have approached the problem of finding green synthesis routes and cheap sources for the most common nanoparticles employed in MFCs and MECs. These nanoparticles are essentially made of carbon, noble metals, and non-noble metals, together with a few other few doping elements. In this review, the most recent findings regarding the sustainable preparation of nanoparticles, in terms of syntheses and sources, are collected, commented, and proposed for applications in MFC and MEC devices. The use of naturally occurring, recycled, and alternative raw materials for nanoparticle synthesis is showcased in detail here. Several examples of how these naturally derived or sustainable nanoparticles have been employed in microbial devices are also examined. The results demonstrate that this approach is valuable and could represent a solid alternative to the expensive use of commercial nanoparticles.

scholarly journals Is contact angle a cause or an effect? – A cautionary tale

2020 ◽  
Vol 146 ◽  
pp. 03004
Author(s):  
Douglas Ruth
Keyword(s):  
Contact Angle ◽  
Solid Surface ◽  
Contact Angles ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Flow In Porous Media ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fluid Drop ◽  
Surrounding Fluid

The most influential parameter on the behavior of two-component flow in porous media is “wettability”. When wettability is being characterized, the most frequently used parameter is the “contact angle”. When a fluid-drop is placed on a solid surface, in the presence of a second, surrounding fluid, the fluid-fluid surface contacts the solid-surface at an angle that is typically measured through the fluid-drop. If this angle is less than 90°, the fluid in the drop is said to “wet” the surface. If this angle is greater than 90°, the surrounding fluid is said to “wet” the surface. This definition is universally accepted and appears to be scientifically justifiable, at least for a static situation where the solid surface is horizontal. Recently, this concept has been extended to characterize wettability in non-static situations using high-resolution, two-dimensional digital images of multi-component systems. Using simple thought experiments and published experimental results, many of them decades old, it will be demonstrated that contact angles are not primary parameters – their values depend on many other parameters. Using these arguments, it will be demonstrated that contact angles are not the cause of wettability behavior but the effect of wettability behavior and other parameters. The result of this is that the contact angle cannot be used as a primary indicator of wettability except in very restricted situations. Furthermore, it will be demonstrated that even for the simple case of a capillary interface in a vertical tube, attempting to use simply a two-dimensional image to determine the contact angle can result in a wide range of measured values. This observation is consistent with some published experimental results. It follows that contact angles measured in two-dimensions cannot be trusted to provide accurate values and these values should not be used to characterize the wettability of the system.

scholarly journals Strain- and Substrate-Dependent Redox Mediator and Electricity Production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (16) ◽  
pp. 5026-5038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erick M. Bosire ◽  
Lars M. Blank ◽  
Miriam A. Rosenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Electron Transfer ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Pure Culture ◽  
Bioelectrochemical Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediated Electron Transfer ◽  
Phenazine Production ◽  
Model Strain

ABSTRACTPseudomonas aeruginosais an important, thriving member of microbial communities of microbial bioelectrochemical systems (BES) through the production of versatile phenazine redox mediators. Pure culture experiments with a model strain revealed synergistic interactions ofP. aeruginosawith fermenting microorganisms whereby the synergism was mediated through the shared fermentation product 2,3-butanediol. Our work here shows that the behavior and efficiency ofP. aeruginosain mediated current production is strongly dependent on the strain ofP. aeruginosa. We compared levels of phenazine production by the previously investigated model strainP. aeruginosaPA14, the alternative model strainP. aeruginosaPAO1, and the BES isolatePseudomonassp. strain KRP1 with glucose and the fermentation products 2,3-butanediol and ethanol as carbon substrates. We found significant differences in substrate-dependent phenazine production and resulting anodic current generation for the three strains, with the BES isolate KRP1 being overall the best current producer and showing the highest electrochemical activity with glucose as a substrate (19 μA cm−2with ∼150 μg ml−1phenazine carboxylic acid as a redox mediator). Surprisingly,P. aeruginosaPAO1 showed very low phenazine production and electrochemical activity under all tested conditions.IMPORTANCEMicrobial fuel cells and other microbial bioelectrochemical systems hold great promise for environmental technologies such as wastewater treatment and bioremediation. While there is much emphasis on the development of materials and devices to realize such systems, the investigation and a deeper understanding of the underlying microbiology and ecology are lagging behind. Physiological investigations focus on microorganisms exhibiting direct electron transfer in pure culture systems. Meanwhile, mediated electron transfer with natural redox compounds produced by, for example,Pseudomonas aeruginosamight enable an entire microbial community to access a solid electrode as an alternative electron acceptor. To better understand the ecological relationships between mediator producers and mediator utilizers, we here present a comparison of the phenazine-dependent electroactivities of threePseudomonasstrains. This work forms the foundation for more complex coculture investigations of mediated electron transfer in microbial fuel cells.

scholarly journals Lack of Electricity Production by Pelobacter carbinolicus Indicates that the Capacity for Fe(III) Oxide Reduction Does Not Necessarily Confer Electron Transfer Ability to Fuel Cell Anodes

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (16) ◽  
pp. 5347-5353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanno Richter ◽  
Martin Lanthier ◽  
Kelly P. Nevin ◽  
Derek R. Lovley
Keyword(s):  
Electron Transfer ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Electron Donors ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Anode Surface ◽  
Oxide Reduction ◽  
Fuel Cell Anodes

ABSTRACT The ability of Pelobacter carbinolicus to oxidize electron donors with electron transfer to the anodes of microbial fuel cells was evaluated because microorganisms closely related to Pelobacter species are generally abundant on the anodes of microbial fuel cells harvesting electricity from aquatic sediments. P. carbinolicus could not produce current in a microbial fuel cell with electron donors which support Fe(III) oxide reduction by this organism. Current was produced using a coculture of P. carbinolicus and Geobacter sulfurreducens with ethanol as the fuel. Ethanol consumption was associated with the transitory accumulation of acetate and hydrogen. G. sulfurreducens alone could not metabolize ethanol, suggesting that P. carbinolicus grew in the fuel cell by converting ethanol to hydrogen and acetate, which G. sulfurreducens oxidized with electron transfer to the anode. Up to 83% of the electrons available in ethanol were recovered as electricity and in the metabolic intermediate acetate. Hydrogen consumption by G. sulfurreducens was important for ethanol metabolism by P. carbinolicus. Confocal microscopy and analysis of 16S rRNA genes revealed that half of the cells growing on the anode surface were P. carbinolicus, but there was a nearly equal number of planktonic cells of P. carbinolicus. In contrast, G. sulfurreducens was primarily attached to the anode. P. carbinolicus represents the first Fe(III) oxide-reducing microorganism found to be unable to produce current in a microbial fuel cell, providing the first suggestion that the mechanisms for extracellular electron transfer to Fe(III) oxides and fuel cell anodes may be different.

Dynamics of Liquid Sheet Breakup in Splash Plate Atomization

2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Thunivumani ◽  
Hrishikesh Gadgil
Keyword(s):  
Solid Surface ◽  
Weber Number ◽  
Jet Impingement ◽  
Liquid Sheet ◽  
Force Balance ◽  
Impingement Angle ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Perforated Sheet ◽  
Sheet Breakup ◽  
Regime Map

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the breakup of a liquid sheet produced by oblique impingement of a liquid jet on a plane solid surface. Experiments are carried out over a wide range of jet Weber number (80–6300) and various jet impingement angles (30 deg, 45 deg, and 60 deg) are employed to study the sheet dynamics. The breakup of a liquid sheet takes place in three modes, closed rim, open rim, and perforated sheet, depending upon the Weber number. The transitions across the modes are also influenced by the impingement angle with the transition Weber number reducing with increase in impingement angle. A modified regime map is proposed to illustrate the role of impingement angle in breakup transitions. A theoretical model based on force balance at the sheet edge is developed to predict the sheet parameters by taking the shear interaction between the sheet and the solid surface into account. The sheet shape predicted by the model fairly matches with the experimentally measured sheet shape. The breakup length and width of the sheet are measured and comparisons with the model predictions show good agreement in closed rim mode of breakup.

scholarly journals Long-distance electron transfer in a filamentous Gram-positive bacterium

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonggang Yang ◽  
Zegao Wang ◽  
Cuifen Gan ◽  
Lasse Hyldgaard Klausen ◽  
Robin Bonné ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Transfer ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Extracellular Electron Transfer ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Positive Bacterium ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Cell Envelopes

AbstractLong-distance extracellular electron transfer has been observed in Gram-negative bacteria and plays roles in both natural and engineering processes. The electron transfer can be mediated by conductive protein appendages (in short unicellular bacteria such as Geobacter species) or by conductive cell envelopes (in filamentous multicellular cable bacteria). Here we show that Lysinibacillus varians GY32, a filamentous unicellular Gram-positive bacterium, is capable of bidirectional extracellular electron transfer. In microbial fuel cells, L. varians can form centimetre-range conductive cellular networks and, when grown on graphite electrodes, the cells can reach a remarkable length of 1.08 mm. Atomic force microscopy and microelectrode analyses suggest that the conductivity is linked to pili-like protein appendages. Our results show that long-distance electron transfer is not limited to Gram-negative bacteria.

scholarly journals Bio-Electrochemical System Depollution Capabilities and Monitoring Applications: Models, Applicability, Advanced Bio-Based Concept for Predicting Pollutant Degradation and Microbial Growth Kinetics via Gene Regulation Modelling

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1038
Author(s):  
Argyro Tsipa ◽  
Constantina K. Varnava ◽  
Paola Grenni ◽  
Vincenzo Ferrara ◽  
Andrea Pietrelli
Keyword(s):  
Gene Regulation ◽  
Growth Kinetics ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Growth Kinetic ◽  
Microbial Growth ◽  
Pollutant Removal ◽  
Enzyme Expression ◽  
Regulation Mechanisms ◽  
Microbial Growth Kinetics ◽  
Difficult Challenge

Microbial fuel cells (MFC) are an emerging technology for waste, wastewater and polluted soil treatment. In this manuscript, pollutants that can be treated using MFC systems producing energy are presented. Furthermore, the applicability of MFC in environmental monitoring is described. Common microbial species used, release of genome sequences, and gene regulation mechanisms, are discussed. However, although scaling-up is the key to improving MFC systems, it is still a difficult challenge. Mathematical models for MFCs are used for their design, control and optimization. Such models representing the system are presented here. In such comprehensive models, microbial growth kinetic approaches are essential to designing and predicting a biosystem. The empirical and unstructured Monod and Monod-type models, which are traditionally used, are also described here. Understanding and modelling of the gene regulatory network could be a solution for enhancing knowledge and designing more efficient MFC processes, useful for scaling it up. An advanced bio-based modelling concept connecting gene regulation modelling of specific metabolic pathways to microbial growth kinetic models is presented here; it enables a more accurate prediction and estimation of substrate biodegradation, microbial growth kinetics, and necessary gene and enzyme expression. The gene and enzyme expression prediction can also be used in synthetic and systems biology for process optimization. Moreover, various MFC applications as a bioreactor and bioremediator, and in soil pollutant removal and monitoring, are explored.

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