Microbial fuel cells with highly active aerobic biocathodes

Milner, Edward M.; Popescu, Dorin; Curtis, Tom; Head, Ian M.; Scott, Keith; Yu, Eileen Hao

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.05.055

Cited by 76 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…A 3‐electrode half‐cell with a carbon felt working electrode (WE), a platinized titanium mesh counter electrode (CE) and a Ag/AgCl reference electrode (RE) was setup as described previously . All of the potentials given in this paper are against the Ag/AgCl reference electrode (0.208V vs .…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 50%

“…SHE), unless stated otherwise. Two aerobic biocathodes were grown in two separate poised‐potential half‐cells and supplied with 1L of minimal bacterial growth medium containing no organic electron donor buffered to pH 5.8 using 50 mM of phosphate buffer, which has been described previously . At pH of 5.8, the reduction potential for oxygen is increased from +0.60 V at pH 7.0 (normal physiological pH) to +0.67 V (pO 2 of 0.2 atm), thereby increasing the potential bacterial energy gain from the electrode.…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 50%

“…Aerobic biocathodes can exhibit high activity with onset potentials of approximately +0.4 V vs . Ag/AgCl , . This type of aerobic biocathode is of special interest to energy generation in MFCs, and understanding the parameters which affect power output is important in further development.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 50%

“…Aerobic biocathodes, which have the ability to catalyze the ORR, can be used as an alternative to chemical catalysts at the cathode , , . Aerobic biocathodes using bacteria with ORR activity are self‐regenerating, free, and are more robust over time than chemical catalysts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Effect of Oxygen Mass Transfer on Aerobic Biocathode Performance, Biofilm Growth and Distribution in Microbial Fuel Cells

Milner

2018

Fuel Cells

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Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a sustainable technology for the direct conversion of biodegradable organics in wastewater into electricity. In most MFCs, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is used as the cathode reduction reaction. Aerobic biocathodes, which use bacteria as biocatalysts to catalyze the cathode ORR, provide self‐sustained, robust and highly active alternatives to chemical catalysts. However, further study of the effect of oxygen mass transfer to the biofilm and cathode materials design is needed. In the current work, two aerobic biocathodes were enriched in half‐cells, and oxygen mass transfer to the biofilm and the biofilm distribution in the porous electrode structure were investigated. It was found that mass transfer of oxygen to the aerobic biocathode was a significant factor affecting cathode ORR, evidenced by a strong correlation between the air flow rate and current. Additionally, it was found that the biofilm penetrates between 20–30% into the porous carbon electrode structure, which is likely due to oxygen mass transfer limitations. The performance of a MFC with biocatalysts at both anode and cathode (64 µW cm−2 peak power at an air flowrate of 1 L min−1) showed strong correlation with air flowrate, confirming the observation in the half‐cell system.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 50%

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 50%

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 50%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Effect of Oxygen Mass Transfer on Aerobic Biocathode Performance, Biofilm Growth and Distribution in Microbial Fuel Cells

Milner

2018

Fuel Cells

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“…For optimal SMFC performance, the electrodes need to be as close together as possible because internal resistance is reduced. The internal resistance with the reference of ohmic losses can be reduced by placing the electrodes very near one another . However, it is also reported that power generation was decreased when electrodes were too near because this spacing could permit the incorporation of oxygen from the cathode chamber into the anodic sediment and cause electron losses.…”

Section: Operating Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review on sediment microbial fuel cells as a new source of sustainable energy and heavy metal remediation: mechanisms and future prospective

Abbas

Rafatullah

Ismail

et al. 2017

Int. J. Energy Res.

116

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Summary Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) are different from microbial fuel cells because they are completely anoxic and lack a membrane. SMFCs are a novel technology for the simultaneous production of renewable energy and bioremediation of heavy metals. Recently, SMFCs have attracted the attention of many researchers because of their moderate functioning parameters and ability to use a range of biodegradable substrates like glucose, glutamic acid, river water, cysteine, acetate, and starch. The inocula used in SMFCs include river sediment, marine sediment, and wastewater. For power generation, many exoelectrogens in SMFCs have the ability to transfer electrons from electrodes by using natural electron shuttles. Exoelectrogens use four primary pathways to transfer electrons to the electrodes, including short‐range electron transfer through redox‐active proteins, soluble electron shuttling molecules, long‐range electron transport by conductive pili, and direct interspecies electron transfer. The most dominant mechanism is long‐range electron transfer via conductive pili because pili have metal‐like conductivity. The powering by microbes is an emerging technique for the remediation of heavy metals from sediments. The pathways for transferring electrons in electrotrophs operate in the opposite direction from those in exoelectrogens. To further upgrade SMFC technology, this review targets the prototype, operating factors, working mechanisms, applications, and future perspectives of SMFCs. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Biofilm structure, dynamics, and ecology of an upscaled biocathode wastewater microbial fuel cell

Leininger

Yates

Ramirez

et al. 2020

Biotech & Bioengineering

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A microbial fuel cell (MFC) system containing modular half‐submerged biocathode was operated for 6 months in an 800 L flow‐through system with domestic wastewater. For the first time, spatial and temporal differences in biofilm communities were examined on large three‐dimensional electrodes in a wastewater MFC. Biocathode microbial community analysis showed a specialized biofilm community with electrogenic and electrotrophic taxa forming during operation, suggesting potentially opposing electrode reactions. The anodic community structure shifted during operation, but no spatial differences were observed along the length of the electrode. Power output from the system was most strongly influenced by pH. Higher power densities were associated with the use of solids‐dewatering filtrate with increased organic matter, conductivity, and pH. The results show that the biocathode was the rate‐limiting step and that future MFC design should consider the effect of size, shape, and orientation of biocathodes on their community assembly and electrotrophic ability.

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Microbial fuel cells with highly active aerobic biocathodes

Cited by 76 publications

References 55 publications

The Effect of Oxygen Mass Transfer on Aerobic Biocathode Performance, Biofilm Growth and Distribution in Microbial Fuel Cells

The Effect of Oxygen Mass Transfer on Aerobic Biocathode Performance, Biofilm Growth and Distribution in Microbial Fuel Cells

A review on sediment microbial fuel cells as a new source of sustainable energy and heavy metal remediation: mechanisms and future prospective

Biofilm structure, dynamics, and ecology of an upscaled biocathode wastewater microbial fuel cell

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