Enhancement of the Start-Up Time for Microliter-Scale Microbial Fuel Cells (µMFCs) via the Surface Modification of Gold Electrodes

Abstract

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are biological fuel cells based on the oxidation of fuels by electrogenic bacteria to generate an electric current in electrochemical cells. There are several methods that can be employed to improve their performance. In this study, the effects of gold surface modification with different thiol molecules were investigated for their implementation as anode electrodes in micro-scale MFCs (µMFCs). Several double-chamber µMFCs with 10.4 µL anode and cathode chambers were fabricated using silicon-microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication technology. µMFC systems assembled with modified gold anodes were operated under anaerobic conditions with the continuous feeding of anolyte and catholyte to compare the effect of different thiol molecules on the biofilm formation of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Performances were evaluated using polarization curves, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), and Scanning Electron Microcopy (SEM). The results showed that µMFCs modified with thiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) (cysteamine and 11-MUA) resulted in more than a 50% reduction in start-up times due to better bacterial attachment on the anode surface. Both 11-MUA and cysteamine modifications resulted in dense biofilms, as observed in SEM images. The power output was found to be similar in cysteamine-modified and bare gold µMFCs. The power and current densities obtained in this study were comparable to those reported in similar studies in the literature.

Self-Assembled Monolayers of Alkanethiols on Nickel Insert: Characterization of Friction and Analysis on Demolding Quality in Microinjection Molding

“…It is demonstrated from the previous studies that the deposition of appropriate coatings on metal or nonmetal materials can effectively reduce the adhesion between interfaces and improve the performance [16,25,26]. However, the tribological properties and durability of the SAMs on a certain metal surface have not been comprehensively studied.…”

Controlling the Carbon-Bio Interface via Glycan Functional Adlayers for Applications in Microbial Fuel Cell Bioanodes

“…Several reports, including by our group, have also used functional thin films to better understand the role that surface charge and specific functional groups play in regulating biofilm colonization at bioanode surfaces [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. Santoro et al [ 36 ] and Şen-Doğan et al [ 35 ] have investigated the role of surface functionalities using self-assembled monolayers of alkyl/arylthiols on gold anodes and they have found that functional layers with ionizable groups can affect startup times and regulate the composition of the bioanode film. On carbon-based materials, aryldiazonium cation chemistry has been used by several groups to deposit well-defined molecular adlayers aimed at investigating the role of charged acid/base groups [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 34 ] and hydrophilic moieties [ 32 ].…”

Editorial for the Special Issue on Biosensors and MEMS-Based Diagnostic Applications

“…In total, nine papers are published in this Special Issue, covering biosensors and MEMS-based diagnostics applications [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. In particular, Dou et al fabricated a wearable contact lens sensor for non-invasive continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure (IOP) [1].…”

“…Sardesai and coworkers reported on the design and electrochemical characterization of a spiral electrochemical notification coupled electrode platform for biosensing applications [3]. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are biological fuel cells based on the oxidation of fuels by electrogenic bacteria to generate an electric current in electrochemical cells.Şen-Dogan et al proposed a new approach for the enhancement of the start-up time for microliter-scale microbial fuel cells (µMFCs) via the surface modification of gold electrodes [4]. The research findings showed that µMFCs modified with thiol self-assembled monolayers (cysteamine and 11-MUA) resulted in more than a 50% reduction in start-up times due to better bacterial attachment on the anode surfaces [4].…”

“…Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are biological fuel cells based on the oxidation of fuels by electrogenic bacteria to generate an electric current in electrochemical cells.Şen-Dogan et al proposed a new approach for the enhancement of the start-up time for microliter-scale microbial fuel cells (µMFCs) via the surface modification of gold electrodes [4]. The research findings showed that µMFCs modified with thiol self-assembled monolayers (cysteamine and 11-MUA) resulted in more than a 50% reduction in start-up times due to better bacterial attachment on the anode surfaces [4]. Sakamoto et al examined the characteristics of the propagation of conduction in width-controlled cardiomyocyte cell networks in order to understand the contribution of the geometrical arrangement of cardiomyocytes to their local fluctuation distribution [5].…”