Immobilization of the iron on the surface of non-woven carbon fiber for use in a microbial fuel cell

Abstract

Iron particles were immobilized onto non-woven carbon fiber via electroplating for use in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). Electroplating was performed under an applied voltage at a current of 0.2 A for 5, 10, and 15 min. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations show that 5 min was not adequate for the particles to be immobilized, whereas 10 and 15 min of electroplating resulted in an adequate number of particles on the surface. To evaluate the strength of the binding of iron via electroplating on the surface of the fiber, the samples were washed with pure water and observed using an SEM. The 10 min electroplated sample has a larger surface area, which is suitable for the MFC anode, than the 15 min electroplated sample. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, the peaks corresponded to those of Fe 2 O 3 , and the sample dipped into tannic acid shows the peaks of Fe 3 O 4 . The amount of biofilm of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was evaluated using crystal violet staining, and living bacteria were counted as colony forming units. Electroplated Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 were found to be effective for producing biofilm and immobilizing S. oneidensis MR-1.

Promotion of direct electron transfer between Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 and carbon fiber electrodes via in situ growth of α-Fe2O3 nanoarray

“…The Nyquist plots of all three α-Fe 2 O 3 @CC electrodes had reduced interfacial electron transfer impedance compared to unmodified carbon cloth, with α-Fe 2 O 3 @CC-3 exhibiting the least resistance, confirming superior bioelectrocatalytic activity and potential for improved MFC performance. Post-analysis via live/dead bacterial staining and inverted fluorescence microscopy ( Supplementary Figure 2 ) showed higher bacterial counts on α-Fe 2 O 3 @CC electrodes compared to carbon cloth, with α-Fe 2 O 3 @CC-3 having the highest live bacteria count, indicating α-Fe 2 O 3 promotes bacterial adsorption and biofilm growth, aligning with previous findings( Ge et al, 2013 ; Phansroy et al, 2016 ; Mohamed et al, 2018 ).…”

“…To enhance the performance of MFCs, researchers have modified the surfaces of diverse carbon-based electrode with iron oxides. For example, Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 electroplated non-woven carbon fiber anode facilitated the immobilization of S. oneidensis MR-1 on the electrode and promoted biofilm formation, thereby improving the performance of the MFC ( Phansroy et al, 2016 ). It has been demonstrated that Fe/Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles deposited on carbon felt, carbon cloth and graphite led to a significant increase in power generation, which attributed to the improved wettability of the electrode surface for enhanced adhesion between the microbial community and the modified electrode surface ( Mohamed et al, 2018 ).…”

Optimization of soil microbial fuel cell for sustainable bio-electricity production: combined effects of electrode material, electrode spacing, and substrate feeding frequency on power generation and microbial community diversity

“…Carbon-felt (GF) electrodes are most commonly used in S-MFCs [ 4 , 23 , 24 ]. In addition to conductivity, corrosion resistance and ease of handling also contribute to the suitability of the CF electrode [ 25 ] for use in the soil–water environment. So far, both the cathode and anode of S-MFCs are mainly made of carbon-based materials, such as carbon brush, carbon cloth, carbon felt, graphite rods, and granulated carbon.…”