Development of a Bioanod, Experimental Studies and Mathematical Modelling of Membraneless Microbial Fuel Cell

Abstract

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a new technology that uses microorganisms to extract energy from complex organic mixtures. On the basis of aerobic granular sludge we have selected a nitrogen-fixing community of microorganisms that was immobilized on a carbon material (graphite foam, carbon nanotubes). The MFC anode has been developed on the basis of selected biological material. A membraneless glucose / oxygen MFC with bioanode and cathode based on non-platinum group metals or laccase enzyme has been developed. A mathematical model describing the processes in the MFC has been developed, on its base the calculations have been carried out.

Glucose-Oxygen Biofuel Cell with Biotic and Abiotic Catalysts: Experimental Research and Mathematical Modeling

“…Introduction of the Nafion ionomer with pH close to 0 into the active biomaterial can lead to the degradation of enzymes and microorganisms. A preliminary description of the preparation method for bioanode has been partially reported previously [43]. The most effective approach to fabrication of anodes based on biological material (BM) is the preliminary immobilization of microorganisms on a carbon material (CM) (i.e., graphene-like foamed thermally expanded graphite (TEG)), followed by applying of CM + BM mixture on the microcellular side of a gas diffusion layer (GDL).…”

“…The catalytic systems were tested in a laboratory membraneless BFC, which was developed using 3D printing. The cell design and the preparation method are described in more details elsewhere [43,48].…”

“…Two types of cell were treated. The first one is a developed membraneless fuel cell (reported in [43,48]), the second one is a commercial cell for FC from Electrochem™ with a separator from a fiberglass between the anode and the cathode. The cathode and anode size was 4 cm 2 .…”

“…Recently, the mathematical models describing the phenomena occurring in the active layers of the electrodes have been presented, i.e., the simulation of glucose oxidation in a weakly acidic medium on carbon black modified by gold on a rotating disk electrode (RDE) [41], and the model describing oxygen bioelectroreduction in a weakly acidic medium on a RDE with the laccase enzyme immobilized on a carbon material [42]. Preliminary results have been reported in [43]. While glucose oxidation occurs on a bioanode with a microbial community immobilized on a carbon material, oxygen reduction occurs on an abiotic catalyst without noble metals.…”