Electrical Energy Production with Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) Technology on Gracilaria verrucosa Substrate

Abstract

Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a renewable technology based on electrochemistry that has the ability to convert chemical energy into electrical energy through microbial metabolic processes. This study aims to determine the effect of adding an electrolyte solution to the production of electricity generated using the substrate Gracilaria verrucosa and the microbe Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The method used in this study uses a double chamber consisting of anode and cathode chambers connected through a proton exchange membrane (PEM) in the form of Nafion 117. The results showed that the addition of 0.2 M KMnO4 electrolyte solution produced current, voltage and power density respectively. of 0.74 mA; 580 mV and 2187 mW/cm2 higher than the addition of 0.2 M K3Fe(CN)6 electrolyte solution resulted in a current, voltage and power density of 0.69 mA, respectively; 450 mV and 1582.16 mW/cm2. The MFC system using Gracilaria verrucosa as a substrate has the potential to generate electrical energy. Keywords: Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC), Electrical energy, Gracilaria verrucosa, Saccharomyces cerevisiae