A fuel cell, an energy transducer, can convert chemical
energy
into electrical energy. In this work, graphite felt (GF) loaded with
polypyrrole (PPy) and carboxylic carbon nanotubes (CNTs–COOH)
was used as a cathode (GF/PPy/CNTs–COOH) in a double-chamber
nonbiofuel cell (D-nBFC) to remove Cr(VI) efficiently. Therein, Na2S2O3 in an alkaline solution and Cr(VI)
in a strongly acidic solution were employed as anode and cathode solutions,
respectively. An agar salt bridge, consisting of saturated KCl solution,
was used to transport ions between the anode and cathode. This system
suggested that the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) could reach 99.6%.
The maximum current, power, and power density could achieve 136.8
μA, 18.7 μW, and 20.8 mW/m2 at 90 min, respectively.
Additionally, GF/PPy/CNTs–COOH also had good electrocatalytic
stability and reusability after four cycles, which played an important
role in the development of the D-nBFC system. Therefore, this study
provides an environmentally friendly and efficient method to remove
Cr(VI) and generate electricity simultaneously.