Discover insights from thousands of peer-reviewed papers on microbial electrochemical systems
Eduardo González‐Martínez, David A. González‐Martínez, Jose M. Moran‐Mirabal
Advanced Sensor Research · 2024
Abstract Cost‐effective miniaturized electrodes that maintain a high electroactive surface area (ESA) are needed for the widespread deployment of point‐of‐care sensors. Cost‐effective methods are recently developed to fabricate nanoroughened microstructured gold electrodes (NR‐MSEs) with ultrahigh ESA. In this work, the effectiveness of NR‐MSEs for bioelectrochemical enzymatic sensors is evaluated. A glucose sensor is constructed by first casting onto NR‐MSEs a solution containing reduced graphene oxide decorated with gold nanoparticles, glucose oxidase, and glutaraldehyde, followed by a solution containing ferrocene, and a layer of chitosan to prevent the leakage of sensor components. A urea biosensor is also fabricated using Nafion as a cationic exchanger for the electropolymerization of polyaniline, followed by the deposition of a composite containing urease, bovine serum albumin, and glutaraldehyde. The limit of quantification for both biosensors is below clinically relevant concentrations of the analytes in biofluids, 0.67 m m for glucose and 1.70 m m for urea. The sensors exhibit excellent performance in complex matrixes (human blood serum and wine for glucose and human blood serum and urine for urea), with recovery for spiked analytes in the range of 92–108%. It is anticipated that NR‐MSEs will expedite the development of highly sensitive bioelectrochemical sensors for use in resource‐limited settings.
Shivani Maddirala, Sudipa Bhadra, Md. Salatul Islam Mozumder et al.
Processes · 2024
Environmental pollution and energy scarcity are the two significant issues that could substantially impede the sustainable growth of our civilization. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are an emerging technique for converting the chemical energy of organic wastes directly into electric energy, allowing for both energy recovery and environmental rehabilitation. Solid organic waste decomposition is generally more challenging compared to organic wastewater due to several factors, including the nature of the waste, the decomposition process, and the associated environmental and logistical considerations. With rapid population expansion and acceleration of urbanization, waste generation continues to rise globally, causing complicated environmental, socioeconomic, and energy problems and a growing demand for public health globally. Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) are promising solid waste management options. However, BES may not be the most effective solution on its own for certain types of waste or may be incapable of treating all waste components. In many circumstances, combining BES with other solid treatment technologies can increase overall treatment efficiency and waste management. Combining BES with other solid treatment methods can have synergistic effects, boosting waste treatment efficiency, resource recovery, and environmental sustainability. However, to guarantee the successful integration and optimization of these combined approaches, site-specific factors, waste characteristics, and system compatibility must be considered.
Sofia Babanova, Jason Jones, Kelly Wiseman et al.
Frontiers in Chemical Engineering · 2022
This study presents BioElectrochemical Treatment Technology (BETT) as a new wastewater management solution toward the Net-Zero future. The results reported herein were collected from a BETT pilot system installed at a large brewery in Los Angeles, CA, United States processing 0.6 m 3 . day -1 of raw brewery wastewater with a high content of fruit pulp. Removal of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and protein in mg.L -1 per day or percentage were evaluated over 2 months of continuous operation of the Demo Unit. The GHG emissions associated with the power consumed, biomass produced, and carbon dioxide emitted were estimated and compared to aerobic and anaerobic solutions. It was demonstrated that BETT can process wastewater with higher organic load than most conventional anaerobic systems. The inflow COD loading varied between 48,550 mg/L to 116,200 mg/L, and BETT achieved up to 33% COD removal in 4-h HRT. The TSS removal reached values as high as 79% with incoming TSS concentrations up to 34,000 mg/L TSS. BETT did not directly generate methane and demonstrated 89 and 49% lower landfill methane emissions than aerobic and anaerobic technologies, respectively. The overall reduction in CO 2 emissions, both direct and indirect, was estimated to be 85–90% compared to existing practices.
Louis‐B. Jugnia, Dominic Manno, Jie Sui et al.
The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering · 2025
Abstract In this study, removal of dissolved organic carbon and naphthenic acids (NAs) from oil sands process‐affected water (OSPW) was evaluated in flow‐through microbial fuel cell (MFC), microbial electrolysis cell (MEC), and microbial electrosynthesis (MES) cell setups with aerated cathodic compartments. At a hydraulic retention time of 2.4 days, the MEC and MFC setups demonstrated 79% and 4.0% removal efficiency of organic materials, respectively, with corresponding degradation rates of 27.25 and 1.86 mg (L R day) −1 (R = total reactor volume). NAs removal was also significantly higher in the MEC operated at 1.4 V with 54% and 21% removal for the MEC and MFC setups, respectively. Furthermore, once the MEC applied voltage was increased to 2 V (MES mode), NAs removal was further improved, reaching 70% efficiency. Analysis of microbial community composition using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences indicated the presence of known electroactive species and microbial populations capable of degrading hydrocarbons and NAs.
Liesa Pötschke, Philipp Huber, Georg Stegschuster et al.
Frontiers in Chemical Engineering · 2022
Commercial carbon fiber (CF) fabrics are popular electrode materials for bioelectrochemical systems (BES), but are usually not optimized for the specific application. This study investigates BES-relevant material characteristics on fabric level, such as weave types and weave parameters. The two contrasting weave types plain and leno weave were characterized with respect to their envisaged application types: 1) BES with mainly advective flow regimes and 2) stirred systems, which could benefit from fluid flow through a fabric electrode. Experiments with batch and continuously fed pure cultures of Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA and Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 reveal that µm-scale electrode topologies are of limited use for the thick biofilms of G. sulfurreducens , but can boost S. oneidensis ’ current generation especially in batch and fed-batch reactors. For advective flow regimes, deeper layers of biofilm inside microporous electrodes are often mass transport limited, even with thin biofilms of S. oneidensis . Therefore, low porosity plain weave electrodes for advective flow operation as in wastewater treating BES should be thin and flat. A trade-off between maximized current density and electrode material utilization exists, which is optimized exemplarily for an advective flow operation. For stirred BES of biotechnological applications, a flow-through of electrolyte is desired. For this, leno weave fabrics with pores at cm-scale are produced from 100% CF for the first time. In a preliminary evaluation, they outperform plain weave fabrics. Mass transfer investigations in stirred BES demonstrate that the large pores enable efficient electrode utilization at lower power input in terms of stirring speed.
Yohanna Anisa Indriyani, Iman Rusmana, Syaiful Anwar et al.
Jurnal Teknik Pertanian Lampung (Journal of Agricultural Engineering) · 2023
The application of microbial fuel cells is still facing some challenges due to its low power output and high internal resistance. It is desirable to obtain a stable and consistent power output from an MFC to support practical real-world applications. Five electroactive bacteria (isolate LGf1, LGf11, LGf15, LGf20, and LGf22) isolated from the sediment of Waduk Saguling were exploited as the potential anodic biocatalyst for MFC, and the performance of these MFCs were studied in terms of voltage generation (open and close circuit), power density and the losses (polarization technique), and efficiencies (coulombic and energy). MFC biocatalyst by isolate LGf11 performed the best electrochemical performances, including highest OCV (open circuit voltage) value (804 mV) and power output (0.043 W/m2), lowest ohmic resistance (475 Ω), and highest coulombic efficiency (75.79%) and energy efficiency (88.36%) among all anodic biocatalysts. Nevertheless, all the five isolates were potential to be exploited as active biocatalyst for MFC due to their high OCV values and the stability of voltage generations, both in open circuit and close circuit mode. The development of system configuration and the use of more suitable substrate for different electroactive microbes in order to harvest more power output was recommended for further study. Utilization of these potential microbes for other applications in MFC (such as wastewater treatment etc.) was also suggested for further research. Keywords: Bio-electrochemical system, Biofuel, Efficiency, Electro-microbiology, Power output
Madiha Tariq, Jin Wang, Zulfiqar Ahmad Bhatti et al.
Processes · 2021
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a recent biotechnology that can simultaneously produce electricity and treat wastewater. As the nature of industrial wastewater is very complex, and it may contain a variety of substrates—such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, etc.—previous investigations dealt with treatment of individual pollutants in MFCs; the potential of acetic acid, sucrose, albumin, blood, and their mixture has rarely been reported. Hence, the current investigation explored the contribution of each substrate, both separately and in mixture. The voltage generation potential, current, and power density of five different substrates—namely, acetic acid, sucrose, albumin, blood, and a mixture of all of the substrates—was tested in a dual-chambered, anaerobic MFC operated at 35 °C. The reaction time of the anaerobic batch mode MFC was 24 h, and each substrate was treated for 7 runs under the same conditions. The dual-chambered MFC consisted of anode and cathode chambers; the anode chamber contained the biocatalyst (sludge), while the cathode chamber contained the oxidizing material (KMnO4). The maximum voltage of 769 mV was generated by acetic acid, while its corresponding values of current and power density were 7.69 mA and 347.85 mW, respectively. Similarly, being a simple and readily oxidizable substrate, acetic acid exhibited the highest COD removal efficiency (85%) and highest Coulombic efficiency (72%) per run. The anode accepted the highest number of electrons (0.078 mmol/L) when acetic acid was used as a substrate. The voltage, current, and power density generated were found to be directly proportional to COD concentration. The least voltage (61 mV), current (0.61 mA), and power density (2.18 mW) were observed when blood was treated in the MFC. Further research should be focused on testing the interaction of two or more substrates simultaneously in the MFC.
Rickelmi Agüero-Quiñones, Zairi Ávila-Sánchez, Segundo Rojas-Flores et al.
Sustainability · 2023
The growing global energy demand drives the need to develop new clean energy technologies. In this context, microbial fuel cells (MFC) are one of the emerging technologies with great potential for eco-friendly energy generation; however, the correct choice of electrode material is a significant limitation in the optimal configuration of MFCs. Therefore, this research evaluated the efficiency of activated carbon (AC) anode electrodes for bioenergy production in MFC using synthetic wastewater as a substrate. Peak values of voltage (1120 ± 0.050 mV), current (4.64 ± 0.040 mA), power density (208.14 ± 17.15 mW/cm2), and current density (5.03 A/cm2) were generated, and the Rint obtained was 214.52 ± 5.22 Ω. The substrate was operated at pH values from 5.31 to 7.66, maximum ORP values (858 mV) were reached, and turbidity was reduced to 25.11 NTU. The SEM-EDS (scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) analyses allowed us to observe the morphology and composition of the AC electrodes, revealing a predominance of O, C, Si, Al, Fe, K, and Ca. It is concluded that the AC electrodes have the potential to produce bioenergy at a laboratory by means of MFC.
Bustami Ibrahim
International Journal of Agriculture and Biology · 2024
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) generate electrical energy using microorganisms as biocatalysts to convert the chemical bonds of organic compounds in wastewater into electricity. Specific types of electrogenic bacteria that form biofilms on MFC electrodes when exposed to high-protein fish-processing wastewater have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to isolate and determine the characteristics of biofilm bacteria on the microbial fuel cell electrodes and identify the selected bacterial isolates. The bacterial growth media used were nutrient agar (NA), deMAnn Rogosa Sharpe Agar (MRSA), and thioglycollate agar (TGA). The characterization of the bacterial isolates included Gram staining, shape, protease activity, catalase activity, and motility. The selected isolates representing each medium and electrode were identified by PCR. Thirteen isolates were gram-positive with distinct characteristics. Molecular identification of the six selected isolates showed that the K1B isolate was Pediococcus pentosaceus; A1G, A2G and K1G isolates were Pediococcus acidilactici; A1T2 isolate was Bacillus subtilis and A3T2 isolate was Staphylococcus warneri.
Matthew Ferby, Shiqiang Zou, Zhen He
Water Environment Research · 2022
Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and forward osmosis (FO) are both attractive and versatile wastewater treatment technologies that possess disadvantageous qualities that prevent their optimal performance. This study aimed to investigate how draw solute selection for FO treatment would affect MFC performance in a coupled FO‐MFC system. Two types of draw solutes, NH 4 HCO 3 and NaCl, were studied, and it was found that 1.0 M NH 4 HCO 3 (FO‐MFC‐A) and 0.68 M NaCl (FO‐MFC‐B) had similar water fluxes of 6.04 to 3.39 LMH and 6.25 to 3.54 LMH, respectively. The reverse salt flux from the draw decreased the feed solution resistance for both draw solutes, but the FO‐MFC‐A system (0.32 W m −2 ) had a higher maximum power density than the FO‐MFC‐B system (0.26 W m −2 ). The current density for the FO‐MFC‐B system increased due to continuous solution resistance decrease, whereas it remained constant for the FO‐MFC‐A. The difference in Coulombic efficiencies (32.8% vs. 25.6%) but similar Coulombic recoveries (10.2% vs. 11.4%) between the FO‐MFC‐A and FO‐MFC‐B systems suggested that the FO‐MFC‐A might have the inhibited microbial activity by high ammonium/ammonia. The FO‐MFC‐A system had the lower energy consumption for nutrient removal (2.01 kWh kg −1 NH 4 + ‐N) and recovery (8.87 kWh kg −1 NH 4 + ‐N). These results have shown that NH 4 HCO 3 as a draw solute can have advantages of higher power density, higher Coulombic efficiency, and recoverability for draw regeneration, but its potential inhibition on microbial activity must also be considered. Practitioner Points Forward osmosis can be connected to microbial fuel cells for wastewater treatment. Water recovery by forward osmosis can greatly reduce the wastewater volume to microbial fuel cells. Ammonium draw solutes can result in lower volumetric energy consumption. Ammonia inhabitation of anode microbes will decrease organic removal.
Marcelinus Christwardana, Athanasia Amanda Septevani, Linda Aliffia Yoshi
International Journal of Renewable Energy Development · 2022
Photosynthesis is a technique for converting light energy into chemical energy that is both efficient and sustainable. Chlorophyll in energy-transducing photosynthetic organisms is unique because of their distinctive structure and composition. In photo-bioelectrochemical research, the chlorophyll's quantum trapping efficiency is attractive. Chlorophyll from Spirulina platensis is demonstrated to communicate directly with TiO2-modified Indium Thin Oxide (ITO) to generate electricity without the use of any mediator. TiO2-modified ITO with a chlorophyll concentration of 100 % generated the greatest power density and photocurrent of approximately 178.15 mW/m2 and 596.92 mA/m2 from water oxidation under light among all the other materials. While the sensitivity with light was 0.885 mA/m2.lux, and Jmax value was 1085 mA/m2. Furthermore, the power and photocurrent density as a function of chlorophyll content are studied. The polarizability and Van der Waals interaction of TiO2 and chlorophyll are crucial in enhancing electron transport in photo-bioelectrochemical systems. As a result, this anode structure has the potential to be improved and used to generate even more energy.
Leonardo Iannucci, Sabrina Grassini, Emma Angelini et al.
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2018
Biofilms are able to change the electrochemical characteristics of passivable metals, creating anodic and cathodic areas and inducing electroactive effects that can directly influence the corrosion rate of the material in a specific environment. This kind of process is referred to as Microbial Influenced Corrosion (MIC), and, even if its mechanisms have been widely studied in literature, it remains a problem largely underestimated and difficult to prevent. A huge number of bacteria are generally involved in MIC process and one of the difficulties of carrying out laboratory tests is to reproduce this great variety. The technique employed in this study aims at overcoming these issues using a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) as environment to test the microbial corrosion behavior of metallic samples. In a MFC, fuel is typically composed of the organic substance dissolved in the solution that fills the anodic half-cell. Bacterial populations, inoculated in the anodic solution, build up an electroactive biofilm on the anode that catalyzes the fuel oxidation. In traditional fuel cells the anodic half-cell is separated from the cathodic one by an electrolytic membrane. In more simple MFC air-breathing systems, the biofilm growing on the cathode both consumes the oxygen diffusing through the pores, thereby guaranteeing anaerobic conditions to the anode, and catalyzes the oxygen reduction. The redox mechanisms of electroactive bacterial occurring on the anode and cathode in a MFC are similar to those involved in microbial corrosion. Therefore laboratory studies on electrophilic bacteria acting on microbial fuel cell electrodes, offer the possibility to study in well-defined anodic and cathodic regions, the mechanisms responsible for microbiological corrosion. This study, in particular, has been carried out in order to characterize the electrochemical behavior of Ag-doped hybrid coatings deposited on stainless steel. The hybrid coatings are based on epoxy resin formulations where the silver nanoparticles are produced in-situ with a bottom-up approach: the silver precursor undergoes a photoreduction reaction during the UV-curing process and leads to a microstructure with nanoparticles dispersed inside the polymeric matrix. The sample under study is inserted in the chamber of the fuel cell and connected to the two electrodes in order to be able to monitor and analyze the variation in time of the current flowing between each one of the three system nodes affected by the same bacteria pool. Both coated and uncoated stainless steel samples have been immersed in the MFC anodic chamber containing wastewater inoculated with swine manure and acetate (as fuel). The performance and growth of bacterial biofilm on the coated samples, in anaerobic conditions, have been investigated by means of anodic and cathodic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Eventually, the coatings and the biofilms have been morphologically characterized by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy.
Agnieszka Stróż, Thomas Luxbacher, Karolina Dudek et al.
Materials · 2023
Surface charge and in vitro corrosion resistance are some of the key parameters characterizing biomaterials in the interaction of the implant with the biological environment. Hence, this work investigates the in vitro bioelectrochemical behavior of newly developed oxide nanotubes (ONTs) layers of second-generation (2G) on a Ti–13Zr–13Nb alloy. The 2G ONTs were produced by anodization in 1 M (NH4)2SO4 solution with 2 wt.% of NH4F. The physical and chemical properties of the obtained bamboo-inspired 2G ONTs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy with field emission and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Zeta potential measurements for the examined materials were carried out using an electrokinetic analyzer in aqueous electrolytes of potassium chloride, phosphate-buffered saline and artificial blood. It was found that the electrolyte type and the ionic strength affect the bioelectrochemical properties of 2G ONTs layers. Open circuit potential and anodic polarization curve results proved the influence of anodizing on the improvement of in vitro corrosion resistance of the Ti–13Zr–13Nb alloy in PBS solution. The anodizing conditions used can be proposed for the production of long-term implants, which are not susceptible to pitting corrosion up to 9.4 V.
Pierangela Cristiani, Andrea Goglio, Stefania Marzorati et al.
Frontiers in Energy Research · 2020
Research in the field of bioelectrochemical systems is addressing the need to improve components and reduce their costs in the perspective of their large-scale application. In this view, innovative solid separators of electrodes, made of biochar and terracotta, are investigated. Biochar-based composites are produced from giant cane ( Arundo Donax L .). Two different types of composite are used in this experiment: composite A, produced by pyrolysis of crushed chipping of A.donax L . mixed clay; and composite B, produced by pyrolysis of already-pyrolyzed giant cane (biochar) mixed with clay. Electrical resistivity, electrical capacity, porosity, water retention, and water leaching of the two composites types (A and B) with 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 mass percentages of carbon (w/w) are characterized and compared. Less than 1 kΩ cm of electrical resistance is obtained for composite A with a carbon content greater than 10%, while physical and electrical performances of composite B do not significantly change. SEM micrographs and 3D microcomputed tomography of different composite materials are provided, demonstrating a different matrix structure of carbon in the terracotta matrix. The possibility of suitably decreasing electric resistance and increasing water retention/leaching of composite A opens the way for a new class of resistive materials that can be simultaneously used as electrolytic separators and as external electric circuits, allowing a compact microbial fuel cell design. A proof of concept of such an MFC design was provided for different tested composites. Although all the anolytes become anaerobic, only the MFCs equipped with the composite A30% were able to produce power, reaching the maximum power peak in correspondence to resistance of about 1 kΩ. The low, but significant, produced power (about 40 mW m −2 , cathode area) confirm that the proposed solution is particularly suitable for nutrient recovery and environment pollution bioremediation, where energy harvesting is not requested.
Jean-Marie Fontmorin, Junxian Hou, Ian Head et al.
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2018
The majority of studies focusing on bioelectrochemical systems (BES) report the utilization of carbon-based electrodes. However, in order to overcome the limitations related to the scale-up of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) and Microbial Electro Synthesis (MES) cells technologies, the utilization of metal-based electrodes need to be considered due to their conductivity, cost and robustness. Stainless steel fiber felts (SSFF) as bioanode material for BES applications was investigated in this study. The unmodified SSFF was tested alongside with electrodes modified with reduced graphene oxide (rGO), magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4), manganese oxide (MnO 2 ) and flame-oxidation (FO). The performance of the metal-based electrodes as bioanodes were investigated in half-cells in terms of stability and current densities. In addition, the impact of the capacitance of the abiotic electrode materials on the performance of the bioanodes and MFCs was evaluated (Fig. a), especially to assess how these materials can increase the energy harvested compared to non-capacitive bioanodes. The results showed that the stainless steel- based electrodes studied are competitive alternatives to the carbon-based electrodes. Current densities recorded in half-cells were 1.96, 1.95 and 2.26 mA/cm 2 for FO-MnO2-SS, rGO-SS and carbon cloth, respectively. In addition, charge/discharge experiments carried out with the bioanodes developed (Fig. c) showed that the modified SSFF electrodes allow the storage of electrical charge from the biofilm to the capacitive layers of the electrodes when cells are left at open circuit potential (OCP). These results demonstrate the potential of these materials for energy generation and storage applications from waste in BES. Figure 1
Mina Memarpoor-Yazdi, Sara Haghighatian, Mohammad Mahdi Doroodmand et al.
Scientific Reports · 2020
Abstract In this study, we employed an electrochemical (potentiometric) method to enumerate magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) during its coupling with iodometric titration to obtain a selective, precise and rapid counting system. Oxygen was considered as an important factor for the orientation and movement of MTB towards the magnet-modified indicator electrode. In the direct potentiometry, a linear correlation was detected between potentiometric response and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations. By the increase of the DO concentration, potential difference would increase in the range of 4.0 to 20.0 parts per million (ppm) at different pressure conditions. The reliability of the O 2 bio-sensing feature provides a selective MTB-based cell enumeration methodology based on indirect potentiometric titration. Furthermore, a five-minute H 2 -purging resulted in an increase of potentiometric response sensitivity arising from the decrease in DO concentration of the electrolyte solution. Results were also investigated by zeta potential difference, which show the effect of charge density of MTB in presence of DO. Zeta potential was increased proportionally by addition of the MTB population. Regarding the reliability of the suggested method, data obtained by the designed system showed no statistical difference from those obtained by the most common procedure in microbiology for enumeration of bacteria, known as colony forming unit (CFU) method.
Alejandro Chamizo-Ampudia, Raúl. M. Alonso, Luisa Ariza-Carmona et al.
Bioengineering · 2025
The growing demand for sustainable bioplastics has driven research toward more efficient and cost-effective methods of producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Among the emerging strategies, bioelectrochemical technologies have been identified as a promising approach to enhance PHA production by supplying electrons to microorganisms either directly or indirectly. This review provides an overview of recent advancements in bioelectrochemical PHA synthesis, highlighting the advantages of this method, including increased production rates, the ability to utilize a wide range of substrates (including industrial and agricultural waste), and the potential for process integration with existing systems. Various bioelectrochemical systems (BES), electrode materials, and microbial strategies used for PHA biosynthesis are discussed, with a focus on the roles of electrode potentials and microbial electron transfer mechanisms in improving the polymer yield. The integration of BES into PHA production processes has been shown to reduce costs, enhance productivity, and support the use of renewable carbon sources. However, challenges remain, such as optimizing reactor design, scaling up processes, and improving the electron transfer efficiency. This review emphasizes the advancement of bioelectrochemical technologies combined with the use of agro-industrial waste as a carbon source, aiming to maximize the efficiency and sustainability of PHA production for large-scale industrial applications.
Serge Cosnier, Dan Shan
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2020
For four decades, the development of biointerfaces has been the subject of increasing research efforts in the field of analytical chemistry and energy conversion. In particular, the functionalization of electrodes by biomaterials based on electrogenerated polymers and / or carbon nanotubes, is widely used for the design of biosensors and biofuel cells. Nanotube deposits were successfully functionalized by electropolymerization or π−π stacking interactions with pyrene derivatives exhibiting both affinity or covalent binding interactions towards redox molecules or proteins. Some new approaches for developing nanostructured biomaterials based on functionalized tungsten disulfide nanotubes and self-supporting film of carbon nanotubes (buckypapers) will be illustrated with enzymes as biosensing element [1]. In particular, WS 2 nanotubes functionalized with carboxylic acid functions were used for the tyrosinase immobilization in order to form an amperometric biosensor towards catechol and dopamine. Moreover, heteropolyoxometalates (C 4 H 10 N) 6 [P 2 Mo 18 O 62 ] and (C 6 H 8 NO) 4 [H 2 P 2 W 18 O 62 ] were immobilized within carbon nanotube matrix and used as mediators for the electron transfer with FAD dependent glucose dehydrogenase [2]. The glucose detection was performed with a sensitivity of 198 mAmolL -1 cm -2 , and a good reproducibility. A new generation of flexible buckypaper electrodes was produced by using linear polynorbornene polymers containing multiple pyrene groups as crosslinker [3]. In addition, the use of bifunctionalized polymers (pyrene and NHS groups) leads to robust buckypapers with the covalent binding of redox groups or enzymes [4]. We have been also interested in the development and characterization of glyconanoparticles (vesicles, micelle aggregates) obtained from the self-assembly of block copolymers composed of polystyrene as a hydrophobic tail and cyclodextrin as a hydrophilic part. These glyconanoparticles, which are stable in suspension in aqueous media, have an outer layer composed of cyclodextrin which allows a post-functionalization of the nanoparticle by hydrophobic molecules through host-guest interactions. These nanoparticles are thus a versatile platform for fixing a wide range of redox mediators. Two types of redox nanoparticles in solution for the electrical connection of enzymes have been developed: nanoparticle modified by 9,10-phenanthrenequinone and nanoparticle modified by ABTS modified by two pyrene groups. This innovative approach will be applied to the electrical wiring of enzymes in solution for the elaboration of solubilized enzymatic fuel cell [5,6]. Acknowledgements The author wishes to acknowledge the support from the Sino-French international research network GDRI 0876 “New nanostructured materials and biomaterials for renewable electrical energy sources” for providing facilities. This work is partly supported by the French National Research Agency (ANR-18-CE09-0022-01). [1] References 1. J. Gross, M. Holzinger, S. Cosnier. Energy Environ.Sci ., 11 , 1670-1687 (2018) 2. Boussema, A. J. Gross, F. Hmida, B. Ayed, H. Majdoub, S. Cosnier, A. Maaref, M. Holzinger. Biosens. Bioelectron ., 109, 20-26 (2018) 3. Chen, L. Yin, J. Lv, A. J. Gross, M. Le, N. G. Gutierrez, Y. Li, I. Jeerapan, F. Giroud, A. Berezovska, R. K. O’Reilly, S. Xu, S. Cosnier, J. Wang. Adv. Funct. Mater., in press. 4. Fritea, A. Gross, K. Gorgy, R. O’Reilly, A. Le Goff, S. Cosnier. J. Mat. Chem. A, 7 1447-1450 (2019) 5. J. Gross, X. Chen, F. Giroud, C. Travelet, R. Borsali, S. Cosnier, J. Am. Chem. Soc ., 139 , 16076-16079 (2017) 6. L. Hammond, A. J. Gross, F. Giroud, C. Travelet, R. Borsali, S. Cosnier. ACS Energy Lett., 4 ,142-148 (2019) [1] Tel 33 456 520 810; Fax 33 456 520 803; email: Serge.Cosnier@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
Lorenzo Cristiani, Jacopo Ferretti, Mauro Majone et al.
Membranes · 2022
Bioelectrochemical systems are emerging technologies for the reduction in CO2 in fuels and chemicals, in which anaerobic chemoautotrophic microorganisms such as methanogens and acetogens are typically used as biocatalysts. The anaerobic digestion digestate represents an abundant source of methanogens and acetogens microorganisms. In a mixed culture environment, methanogen’s inhibition is necessary to avoid acetate consumption by the presence of acetoclastic methanogens. In this study, a methanogenesis inhibition approach based on the thermal treatment of mixed cultures was adopted and evaluated in terms of acetate production under different tests consisting of hydrogenophilic and bioelectrochemical experiments. Batch experiments were carried out under hydrogenophilic and bioelectrochemical conditions, demonstrating the effectiveness of the thermal treatment and showing a 30 times higher acetate production with respect to the raw anaerobic digestate. Moreover, a continuous flow bioelectrochemical reactor equipped with an anion exchange membrane (AEM) successfully overcomes the methanogens reactivation, allowing for a continuous acetate production. The AEM membrane guaranteed the migration of the acetate from the biological compartment and its concentration in the abiotic chamber avoiding its consumption by acetoclastic methanogenesis. The system allowed an acetate concentration of 1745 ± 30 mg/L in the abiotic chamber, nearly five times the concentration measured in the cathodic chamber.
Lincoln Mtemeri, Scott Calabrese Barton, David P. Hickey
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2024
Cell-free bioelectrocatalysis has drawn significant research attention as a Green approach for producing commodity and fine chemicals. Enzymatic bioelectrocatalysis utilizes electrodes to drive challenging enzymatic redox reactions, such as CO 2 reduction and selective oxidation of lignocellulosic biomass to generate value-added products. For many oxidoreductases, the redox cofactor is buried within the insulating protein matrix and, thus, inaccessible to the heterogeneous electrode surface. In such cases, electrochemically active small molecules, called redox mediators, have been proven effective in enabling efficient electron transfer by acting as electron shuttles between the electrode and enzyme cofactor. To this end, redox-active hydrogels have become a critical component of many bioelectrocatalysis applications as a way to create an efficient enzyme/electrode interface. Polymers containing covalently attached redox mediators are cross-linked in the presence of a desired oxidoreductase onto the surface of an electrode to form a bioelectrocatalytic hydrogel. This strategy simultaneously immobilizes enzymes at the electrode interface – thereby simplifying product purification and mitigating mass transfer limitations – and improving electron transfer kinetics necessary for electrochemically regenerating the redox cofactor. Despite the success and broad application of redox polymers in enzymatic bioelectrocatalysis, critical interactions between polymer-bound mediators and redox enzymes remain poorly understood, thereby adding significant complications to the design of novel redox polymers. Moreover, there are notable (and seemingly contradictory) discrepancies between the activity of commonly used enzymes, such as glucose oxidase, with freely solvated mediators compared to their polymer-bound counterparts. We have employed a combination of electroanalytical techniques with an array of computational tools (including density function theory (DFT), static docking simulations, and molecular dynamics simulations) to provide new insights into the role that both protein structure and redox polymer composition play in designing efficient bioelectrochemical interfaces. Specifically, we compare the interactions of a commonly used naphthoquinone-modified linear poly(ethylenimine) hydrogel with two structurally analogous enzymes, GOx and FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenase, that lead to divergent electrocatalytic activity despite both being equally active towards a comparable freely diffusing mediator.
Kevin Beaver, Shelley D. Minteer
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2021
The development of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for wastewater treatment has recently gained significant attention in the bioremediation and renewable energy industries. Bacteria can be integrated into the anodes of MFCs to oxidize organic wastes, simultaneously producing electrical current and decontaminating wastewater. The photoheterotrophic purple bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus has demonstrated photo-catalyzed electron transfer to carbon electrodes via exogenous quinone redox mediators, and tolerance to high salinity, opening opportunities for solar-powered MFC systems for treatment of saline wastewater. While the consumption of malate by R. capsulatus has been electrochemically analyzed previously, in this project, alternative target carbon sources were examined in order to improve electrochemical performance of these R. capsulatus systems. A combination of electrochemical techniques and biological assays were used to evaluate the relative viability of malate, lactate, succinate and propionate as oxidizable fuels. Specifically, cyclic voltammetry and amperometry data demonstrated that R. capsulatus generates distinctive bio-photocurrent densities depending on the fuel metabolized. Bioanodes with immobilized R. capsulatus cells oxidizing lactate (9.49 ± 1.89 µA cm -2 ) as the fuel yielded the greatest mediated bio-photocurrent densities compared to the other fuels, while those metabolizing propionate (1.33 ± 0.18 µA cm -2 ) generated the smallest current densities. In tandem with electrochemistry methods, growth curve assays and RNA sequencing were performed to further delve into the biological effects of altering the carbon source.
David E Cliffel, Christopher Stachurski, John Williams
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2022
Photosystem I (PSI) is one of the primary macromolecular machines that drive photosynthesis in green plants and cyanobacteria. Extracted PSI has been employed successfully as a macromolecular photosensitizer within a host of low-cost electrochemical and solid-state photovoltaic architectures. This presentation will also explore our group’s recent efforts to integrate PSI with advanced nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes, carbon quantum dots, and conducting polymers polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole, polyviologens, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). These composite assemblies enhance charge shuttling processes from individual proteins within multilayer assemblies—greatly reducing charge transfer resistances and improving overall efficiency of photocells. The group has reported two new prototype solid-state devices in which PSI or PSI/PANI is sandwiched between energetically appropriate electrodes. The group has also succeeded in stabilizing PSI films via crosslinking to create “wet” photoelectrochemical cells with greater performance and longevity. Finally, our current work is aimed at building new prototypes using PSI in solid state interfaces for scalable solar energy conversion. Finally, the incorporation of PSI into conducting polymer frameworks holds promise for improved conductivity and orientational control in the photoactive layers in these devices.
Juliette Pelletier, Raphaël Trouillon
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2024
Context- Paper is an innovative material for cell culture due to its biocompatibility, its inert chemical properties and its low-cost. Paper is already used in many biomedical applications such as immunoassays and, more recently, as affordable electrochemical sensors. In this context, tuning the properties of paper devices can achieve better, more efficient and user-friendly assays for biomedical applications. Here, and by modifying the electrochemical properties of paper electrochemical devices, it is possible to create electrodes that can detect neurotransmitters, a critical type of biomolecules involved in neuronal communication. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in reward and addiction and a molecule of considerable scientific interest. Dopamine is secreted in the brain by dopaminergic neurons. However, the fine chemical mechanisms of neuron networks are still obscure. Being able to spatially measure dopamine secretion, in response to activation of precise neuronal regions in a unique system, can lead to a better understanding of neuronal dynamics, as well as their response to drug alterations. Proposing a research model describing neuronal chemical function in a network will therefore help shining light on their mechanisms and testing new neuropharmacological solutions. Developing new tools for the analytical electrochemistry of the brain will make quantitative neuro-analysis more accessible, thus paving the way for a better understanding of the chemical mechanisms of the brain. Tuning paper electrode for neurochemical analysis- Conductive inks, i.e. conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) suspensions, were used to improve the detection of dopamine at paper-based electrodes. The physical and chemical properties of different preparations and mixtures of inks were considered. Solvent secondary doping, a common technique for PEDOT-PSS based electrode, was used to improve the electrical properties of the electrodes. Ferrocyanide electroanalysis was used to benchmark 10 different electrode preparations, revealing that combining CNT and PEDOT-PSS improves the electroactivity of the surface of the sensor. Interestingly, it was found that CNT has a doping effect on PEDOT-PSS, leading to improved electrochemical properties. Finally, these electrodes were tested for dopamine detection. It was found that combining PEDOT-PSS and CNT in the surface layer of ink deposited on the paper electrode allows for lower capacitance, higher anodic current as well as better fouling resistance. Figure 1 presents a CV voltammogram for Dopamine obtained with a paper electrode. Overall, this strategy improves the sensitivity of the assay. Growing neurons on paper- Paper-based devices can also be used for cell culture. Cell on paper constructs are 3D cell culture models that are more suitable to study cell in a biomimetic 3D environment, thus better recapitulating their functions and biology. By carefully modifying the surface of the paper devices, it is possible to adjust their biocompatible properties to ameliorate the survival rate of cell culture on paper. This opens the possibility to achieve neuronal cell culture on paper. We will present different paper preparations compatible with murine dopaminergic maintenance. The neurons were maintained alive for several days of culture. We were able to effectively observe and study neurons in a 3D paper environment and quantify the growth of their processes. Figure 1 : Electrochemical detection of Dopamine for 20 cycles. Working electrode is a paper electrode with PEDOT:PSS and CNT conductive inks, shown on the right, scale is 1 cm. The reference electrode is an Ag/AgCl electrode, and the counter electrode is a platinum electrode. Scan rate is 0.02 Vs -1 . Figure 1
Savannah Stuart‐Dahl, Edith Martinez‐Guerra, Bahareh Kokabian et al.
Engineering in Life Sciences · 2020
Abstract In this research, low strength synthetic wastewaters with chemical oxygen demand less than 300 mg L −1 were treated at different concentrations in a bioelectrochemical desalination process. A process optimization model was utilized to study the performance of the photosynthetic bioelectrochemical desalination process. The variables include substrate (chemical oxygen demand) concentration, total dissolved solids, and microalgae biomass concentration in the cathode chamber. Relationships between the chemical oxygen demand concentration, microalgae, and salt concentrations were evaluated. Power densities and potential energy benefits from microalgal biomass growth were discussed. The results from this study demonstrated the reliability and reproducibility of the photosynthetic microbial desalination process performance followed by a response surface methodology optimization. This study also confirms the suitability of bioelectrochemical desalination process for treating low substrate wastewaters such as agricultural wastewaters, anaerobic digester effluents, and septic tank effluents for net energy production and water desalination.
Refka Askri, Benjamin Erable, Luc Etcheverry et al.
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology · 2020
The textile and clothing industry is the first manufacture sector in Tunisia in terms of employment and number of enterprises. It generates large volumes of textile dyeing wastewater (TDWW) containing high concentrations of saline, alkaline, and recalcitrant pollutants that could fuel tenacious and resilient electrochemically active microorganisms in bioanodes of bioelectrochemical systems. In this study, a designed hybrid bacterial halothermotolerant bioanode incorporating indigenous and exogenous bacteria from both hypersaline sediment of Chott El Djerid (HSCE) and TDWW is proposed for simultaneous treatment of real TDWW and anodic current generation under high salinity. For the proposed halothermotolerant bioanodes, electrical current production, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency, and bacterial community dynamics were monitored. All the experiments of halothermotolerant bioanode formation have been conducted on 6 cm 2 carbon felt electrodes polarized at −0.1 V/SCE and inoculated with 80% of TDWW and 20% of HSCE for 17 days at 45°C. A reproducible current production of about 12.5 ± 0.2 A/m 2 and a total of 91 ± 3% of COD removal efficiency were experimentally validated. Metagenomic analysis demonstrated significant differences in bacterial diversity mainly at species level between anodic biofilms incorporating allochthonous and autochthonous bacteria and anodic biofilm containing only autochthonous bacteria as a control. Therefore, we concluded that these results provide for the first time a new noteworthy alternative for achieving treatment and recover energy, in the form of a high electric current, from real saline TDWW.
Hongda Pan, Qing Feng, Yong Zhao et al.
Fermentation · 2023
The effect of bioelectrochemical anaerobic digestion (BEAD) on the methanogenic performance of brewery wastewater at different organic loading rates (OLRs) was investigated and compared to conventional anaerobic digestion. A continuous BEAD reactor was used to treat brewery wastewater at different OLRs of 2, 4, 8, 16, and 20 g COD/L.d. The experimental results showed that the methane production was gradually increased from 0.48 L/L.d at an OLR of 2 g COD/L.d to 5.64 L/L.d at an OLR of 20 g COD/L.d. The methane production of the BEAD system was significantly higher than that of the conventional anaerobic reactor, indicating that BEAD has a better treatment effect for brewery wastewater. The performance of the conventional anaerobic reactor was significantly reduced especially at an OLR of 16 g COD/L.d, while the BEAD system could withstand a higher OLR. Bioelectrochemical systems provide a completely new platform for the anaerobic treatment of brewery wastewater and greatly improve the operation of anaerobic processes.
Jiaxin Liu, Xue Yan, Qiang Ding et al.
Sustainability · 2025
A novel three-dimensional porous biocarbon electrode with exceptional biocompatibility was synthesized via a facile approach using pumpkin as the precursor. The obtained pumpkin-derived biocarbon features a highly porous architecture and serves as an efficient biocarbon electrode (denoted as PBE) in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). This PBE could form robust biofilms to facilitate the adhesion of electroactive bacteria. When used in the treatment of real wastewater, the assembled PBE-MFC achieves a remarkable power density of 231 mW/m2, much higher than the control (carbon brush—MFC, 164 mW/m2) under the identical conditions. This result may be attributed to the upregulation of flagellar assembly pathways and bacterial secretion systems in the electroactive bacteria (e.g., Hydrogenophaga, Desulfovibrio, Thiobacillus, Rhodanobacter) at the anode of the PBE-MFC. The increased abundance of nitrifying bacteria (e.g., Hyphomicrobium, Sulfurimonas, Aequorivita) and organic matter-degrading bacteria (e.g., Lysobacter) in the PBE-MFC also contributed to its exceptional wastewater treatment efficiency. With its outstanding biocompatibility, cost-effectiveness, environmental sustainability, and ease of fabrication, the PBE-MFC displays great potential for application in the field of high-performance and economic wastewater treatment.
Yeray Asensio, María Llorente, Alejandro Sánchez-Gómez et al.
Frontiers in Microbiology · 2021
The capacity of electroactive bacteria to exchange electrons with electroconductive materials has been explored during the last two decades as part of a new field called electromicrobiology. Such microbial metabolism has been validated to enhance the bioremediation of wastewater pollutants. In contrast with standard materials like rods, plates, or felts made of graphite, we have explored the use of an alternative strategy using a fluid-like electrode as part of a microbial electrochemical fluidized bed reactor (ME-FBR). After verifying the low adsorption capacity of the pharmaceutical pollutants on the fluid-bed electrode [7.92 ± 0.05% carbamazepine (CBZ) and 9.42 ± 0.09% sulfamethoxazole (SMX)], our system showed a remarkable capacity to outperform classical solutions for removing pollutants (more than 80%) from the pharmaceutical industry like CBZ and SMX. Moreover, the ME-FBR performance revealed the impact of selecting an anode potential by efficiently removing both pollutants at + 200 mV. The high TOC removal efficiency also demonstrated that electrostimulation of electroactive bacteria in ME-FBR could overcome the expected microbial inhibition due to the presence of CBZ and SMX. Cyclic voltammograms revealed the successful electron transfer between microbial biofilm and the fluid-like electrode bed throughout the polarization tests. Finally, Vibrio fischeri -based ecotoxicity showed a 70% reduction after treating wastewater with a fluid-like anode (+ 400 mV), revealing the promising performance of this bioelectrochemical approach.
O. D. Akinwumi, S. E., Agarry, M. O. Aremu et al.
LAUTECH Journal of Engineering and Technology · 2024
Pharmaceutical wastewater (PWW) as an industrial wastewater presents a potential hazard to natural water systems. This wastewater contains organic matter, which is toxic to the various life forms of the system. PWW is one of the major health problems nowadays, not only for aquatic life but also for human beings and the environment. There are several methods such as filtration, advanced oxidation, coagulation and biological membranes been used for the treatment of PWW, however, all of these methods are limited in their results and applications. In this present study, Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) represent a new method for treating wastewater, generating electricity, and reducing COD simultaneously. A novel H-type MFC connected with a graphite electrode has been designed for bioelectricity generation, COD reduction as well as PWW treatment. The treatment of PWW showed adequate bioelectricity generation such as Voltage, Current, and Power, of about 775 mV, 0.421 mA, and 583.70 mW at 100 Ω respectively. The percentage of the COD removed ranged from 95.2-96.7% and 12-34% at the different process variables. This study established bioelectricity generation and bio-treatment of PWW.
Pavlos K. Pandis, Marina Georgala, Paraskevi Nanou et al.
Key Engineering Materials · 2023
Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are electrochemical devices that exploit microbes for wastewater treatment with simultaneous power production. Concerning reactor design, electrode materials and operation modes, great achievements have been reported with an emphasis on developing anode materials to improve overall MFC performance. Anode materials (carbon cloth, carbon veil, carbon sponges) and their properties such as biocompatibility, electrical conductivity, surface area and efficient transport of waste play a very important role in power generation in MFCs. Despite their low cost, they present structural-based disadvantages eg. Fragility, and low conductivity issues. Additive manufacturing of Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) due to its tailoring properties, has employed various polymer-based materials such as Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) for manufacturing applications. In addition, carbon-based composites and hybrid materials eg. electrically conductive PLA and ABS have already been fabricated and are commercially available to exploit good electrical conductivity and structural rigidness. In this research, FDM was used to fabricate custom-sized electrodes made of a laboratory-produced electrically conductive ABS filament. A parametric study of conductivity and biocompatibility properties of these electrodes in correlation to 3D printer parameters was investigated and reported. Furthermore, treatment with a combination of thermal, mechanical, and chemical procedures was performed to improve the crucial parameters of anodes for MFCs.
Reneta Boukoureshtlieva, Toma Stankulov, Anton Momchilov
Ecological Engineering and Environment Protection · 2021
In the past 20 years Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been extensively studied regarding the possibility of transforming organic waste directly into electricity. There are significant differences between MFCs and conventional low temperature Fuel Cells (FCs), which make MFCs attractive: biotic catalyst at the anode; the anodic fuel is complex organic waste; MFCs operate under mild reaction conditions (neutral pH, temperature and pressure), close to ambient levels as optimum. Like chemical fuel cells, MFCs are composed of anode and cathode. Oxygen is an ideal electron acceptor for MFCs because of its high redox potential, availability, and sustainability. However, the Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) is kinetically sluggish, resulting in a large proportion of potential loss. Also, working conditions are quite different because of the type of complex media in which MFCs operate. In order to overcome these limitations, catalysts are often used to lower the overpotentials and accelerate the kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction. One of the main challenges is the development of efficient and stable cathode catalysts for MFCs. By far, Pt and Pt-based catalysts (PGMs) have been extensively used, due to their catalytic efficiency in gas-diffusion electrodes. But the high cost and low durability have significantly lowered their utilization in MFCs. A variety of non-precious metal catalysts have been developed for MFC applications including carbon-based catalysts, carbon supported composite catalysts, Me-based catalysts and biocatalysts. It is supposed that the ORR catalyst used for wastewater treatment in MFCs is simple to synthesize, cost-effective, durable after long-term operation in wastewater, tolerant to poisoning and able to restore catalytic activity after cleaning. In this regard carbon-based catalyst may be the most promising candidate for practical applications. This study reviews different carbon-based ORR catalysts for MFC applications for wastewater treatment and energy recovery.
Ying Chao
MATEC Web of Conferences · 2025
The integration of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with biomass waste utilization presents a promising pathway for simultaneous energy recovery and environmental remediation. MFCs generate electricity by harnessing the metabolic activity of electroactive microorganisms, which oxidize organic substrates and transfer electrons to an external circuit. This review investigates the operational principles of MFCs, core system components, and their capacity to convert diverse biomass-derived substrates—including agricultural residues, food waste, and industrial wastewater—into electrical energy. Pretreatment techniques such as mechanical reduction and irradiation are discussed for improving substrate bioavailability and enhancing power density. The technical and economic feasibility of MFCs is evaluated, highlighting current limitations such as low energy output, material costs, and scale-up challenges. Additionally, the role of MFCs in carbon fixation and circular bioeconomy models is examined, demonstrating their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while recovering valuable resources. Despite unresolved engineering and microbial constraints, ongoing advances in materials science, system architecture, and microbial engineering are expected to enhance the scalability and efficiency of MFC-based waste-to-energy platforms. This review underscores the importance of further interdisciplinary research to realize the full potential of MFCs in sustainable energy and waste management systems.
Yu-Chen Liu, Yu-Hsuan Hung, Shih-Fu Liu et al.
Sustainable Energy & Fuels · 2020
The MFCs with N-MWCNT@GONR and MWCNT@GONR anodes exhibits high power densities up to 3444 mW m −2 and 3291 mW m −2 .
Leena R, Arya Sethu Madhavan, Lineesh M Kunjappan
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2021
Melatonin(N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine) is a paracrine hormone secreted by pineal gland in the brain. This endogenous hormone has the ability to maintain the body circadian rhythm. 1 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (L-Dopa) is the intermediate precursor of the Neurotransmitter dopamine. L-dopa, as one of catecholamines, is widely used as a source of dopamine in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. 2 Here, we report a sensor based on Platinum electrode modified with hydrothermally synthesized RGO and spinel nanoferrate for the simultaneous determination of L-Dopa and Melatonin. Graphene oxide (GO)is a graphene derived material with oxygen containing functional groups. Graphene is a material with honey comb like structure of carbon atoms having sp 2 bonding character. It exhibits high electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. GO containing functional groups like –OH, -COOH etc., acts as the site for the nucleation of metal oxide nanoparticles. It improves direct electron transfer between the electrode and the redox species by accelerating the electron transfer and enlarging the effective surface area. 3 GO was synthesized by modified Hummers method. Chemically converted graphene RGO has been prepared by various reduction methods such as chemical, microwave, electrochemical, thermal, solvothermal/hydrothermal, by reducing its oxygen content. 4 Green synthetic pathway of hydrothermal method was adopted for RGO synthesis to avoid hazardous chemical species and vigorous reaction conditions. Spinel ferrate like Copper Cobalt ferrate (CuCoFe 2 O 4 ) was synthesized by sol-gel method and RGO/Spinel nanocomposite was prepared by physical mixing. 5 The synthesized materials were characterized using various techniques like FTIR, XRD, FESEM etc. The electro catalytic activity of RGO/Spinel nanocomposite anchored platinum electrode for the simultaneous determination of melatonin and L-Dopa was studied using several voltammetric techniques. Bare platinum electrode was able to sense melatonin and L-Dopa both individually, but not simultaneously. Compared to RGO modified Platinum electrode, RGO-Spinel ferrate/Pt electrode exhibited good response in terms of lower potential of electrooxidation of L-Dopa and Melatonin with enhanced catalytic current with a peak separation of 0.48V. This enhancement in electrochemical performance is due to the increase in surface area as well as conductivity of the electrode upon modification with RGO-spinel nanocomposite which act as an excellent electrochemical oxidant for L-Dopa and melatonin. References: Levent, A. J. Diam. Relat. Mater. 2012 , 21, 114-119 Yan, X.; Pan, D.; Wang, H.; Bo, X.; Guo, L. J. Electroanal. Chem. 2011 , 663, 36-42 Pei, S.; Zhao, J.; Du, J.; Ren, W.; Cheng, H. J. Carbon. 2010 , 48, 4466-4474 Luo, D.; Zhang, G.; Liu, J.; Sun, X. J. Phys. Chem. C. 2011 , 115, 11327-11335 Elkholy, A. E.; Heakal, F. E.; Allam, K. A. J. RSC Adv. 2017 , 7, 51888
Leena R, Arya Sethu M
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2020
Melatonin(N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine) is a paracrine hormone secreted by pineal gland in the brain. This endogenous hormone has the ability to maintain the body circadian rhythm. 1 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (L-Dopa) is the intermediate precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine. L-dopa,as one of catecholamines, is widely used as a source of dopamine in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. 2 Here, we report a sensor based on Platinum electrode modified with hydrothermally synthesised RGO and spinel nano ferrate for the simultaneous determination of L-Dopa and Melatonin. Graphene oxide (GO)is a graphene derived material with oxygen containing functional groups. Graphene is a material with honey comb like structure of carbon atoms having sp 2 bonding character. It exhibits high electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and mechanical strength.GO containing functional groups like –OH, -COOH etc., acts as the site for the nucleation of metal oxide nano particles.It improves direct electron transfer between the electrode and the redox species by accelerating the electron transfer and enlarging the effective surface area. 3 GO was synthesized by modified Hummers method. Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has been prepared by various reduction methods such as chemical, microwave, electrochemical, thermal, solvothermal, hydrothermal etc by reducing its oxygen content. 4 We employed a green synthetic pathway of hydrothermal method for RGO synthesis to avoid hazardous chemical species and vigorous reaction conditions. Copper Cobalt ferrate (CuCoFe 2 O 4 ) which is a spinel nanocomposite was synthesised by sol-gel method and RGO/Spinel nanocomposite was prepared by physical mixing. 5 The prepared RGO spinel nanocomposite was characterized by using various techniques like FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDAX etc.The electrocatalytic activity of RGO/Spinel nanocomposite anchored platinum electrode for the simultaneous determination of melatonin and L-Dopa was studied using several voltammetric techniques. Bare platinum electrode was able to sense melatonin and L-Dopa both individually, but not simultaneously. Compared to RGO modified Platinum electrode, RGO-Spinel ferrate/Pt electrode exhibited good response in terms of lower potential of electrooxidation of L-Dopa and melatonin with enhanced catalytic current with a peak separation of 0.48V. The simultaneous square wave voltammetric determination of L-Dopa and melatonin on RGO modified Platinum electrode and RGO-Spinel ferrate/Pt electrode are shown in Fig. 1. This enhancement in electrochemical performance is due to the increase in surface area as well as conductivity of the platinum electrode upon modification of RGO with spinel nanocomposite which act as an excellent electrochemical oxidant for L-Dopa and melatonin. References: 1. Levent, A., Diam. Relat. Mater., 2012 , 21, 114-119. 2. Yan, X.; Pan, D.; Wang, H.; Bo, X.; Guo, L., J. Electroanal. Chem., 2011 , 663, 36-42. 3. Pei, S.; Zhao, J.; Du, J.; Ren, W.; Cheng, H., Carbon, 2010 , 48, 4466-4474. 4. Luo, D.; Zhang, G.; Liu, J.; Sun, X., J. Phys. Chem. C, 2011 , 115, 11327-11335. 5. Elkholy, A. E.; Heakal, F. E.; Allam, K. A., RSC Adv., 2017 , 7, 51888. Figure 1
Myoung Eun Lee, Yongtae Ahn, Seung Gu Shin et al.
Energies · 2022
Anaerobic digestion (AD) can produce renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions, but the energy conversion efficiency is still limited in some waste streams. This study tested the effect of applied voltage removal for microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) treating primary sewage sludge. Two MECs were operated in parallel: a MEC-0.3 V with an applied voltage of 0.3 V and a MEC-OCV with open circuit voltage. Both reactors were inoculated with seed sludge originating from a MEC at 0.3 V applied voltage, and three batch cycles were operated for 36 d. The methane production of the MEC-OCV was 3759 mL/L in the first cycle and 2759 mL/L in the second cycle, which was similar (105% and 103%, respectively) to that of the MEC-0.3 V. However, in the third cycle, the methane production of the MEC-OCV (1762 mL/L) was 38.8% lower than that of the MEC-0.3 V (4545 mL/L). The methane contents in the biogas were 68.6–74.2% from the MEC-OCV, comparable to those from the MEC-0.3 V (66.6–71.1%). These results indicate that not only the MEC-0.3V but also the MEC-OCV outperformed AD in terms of methane yield and productivity, and the promotion using MEC-derived inoculum persisted equally with the MEC-OCV for two batch cycles after removing the applied voltage. Therefore, a MEC operation with cycled power supply may be beneficial in reducing the electric energy usage and improving the biogas production performance, compared to conventional AD.
Jerry Huayang Tang
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science · 2021
Abstract Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) represent a renewable hydrogen production technology that offers the possibility of converting wastewater to hydrogen through a bioelectrochemical process. Particularly, the MEC substrate has a significant effect on the performance of MECs, and in this review, the performances of over 30 substrates examined since 2015 are summarized and compared. It was evident that popular MEC substrates include dark fermentation effluents, pyrolysis products, and raw wastewaters. Additionally, the different MEC substrates investigated yielded different MEC performances, indicating that further studies are required before MECs can become a mature technology for up-scale applications.
E. Chorbadzhiyska, I. Bardarov, Y. Hubenova et al.
Bulgarian Chemical Communications · 2019
Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is an ecologically clean and innovative technology for hydrogen production. The development of cost-effective cathodes with high catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in nearneutral electrolytes is the most critical challenge for the practical application of MEC technology. In this study, graphite electrodes, functionalized with non-noble metal oxides, were produced and after electrochemical pre-treatment investigated as potential cathodes for MEC. The morphology of the developed materials was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Their electrochemical performance in neutral phosphate buffer solution (PBS) was explored by means of linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and chronoamperometry (CA). The results from both methods show that all modified electrodes exhibit higher electrocatalytic activity towards HER than that of bare graphite, which is a prerequisite for further evaluation of these materials as cathodes in real MEC.
Marie Abadikhah, Miguel de Celis Rodriguez, Frank Persson et al.
Frontiers in Microbiology · 2022
In single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), organic compounds are oxidized at the anode, liberating electrons that are used for hydrogen evolution at the cathode. Microbial communities on the anode and cathode surfaces and in the bulk liquid determine the function of the MEC. The communities are complex, and their assembly processes are poorly understood. We investigated MEC performance and community composition in nine MECs with a carbon cloth anode and a cathode of carbon nanoparticles, titanium, or stainless steel. Differences in lag time during the startup of replicate MECs suggested that the initial colonization by electrogenic bacteria was stochastic. A network analysis revealed negative correlations between different putatively electrogenic Deltaproteobacteria on the anode. Proximity to the conductive anode surface is important for electrogens, so the competition for space could explain the observed negative correlations. The cathode communities were dominated by hydrogen-utilizing taxa such as Methanobacterium and had a much lower proportion of negative correlations than the anodes. This could be explained by the diffusion of hydrogen throughout the cathode biofilms, reducing the need to compete for space.
Aliya Temirbekova, Zhanar Tekebayeva, Aslan Temirkhanov et al.
Biology · 2023
Natural resources are in short supply, and the ecosystem is being damaged as a result of the overuse of fossil fuels. The creation of novel technology is greatly desired for investigating renewable and sustainable energy sources. Microorganisms have received a lot of interest recently for their potential to transform organic waste into sustainable energy and high-value goods. New exoelectrogens that can transmit electrons to electrodes and remove specific wastewater contaminants are expected to be studied. In this study, we examined three distinct samples (as determined by chemical oxygen demand and pH) that can be used as anolytes to generate power in single-chamber and double-chamber microbial fuel cells using graphite electrodes. Wastewater from poultry farms was studied as an exoelectrogenic anolyte for microbial fuel cell power generation. The study examined 10 different bacterial strains, numbered A1 through A10. Due to their highly anticipated capacity to metabolize organic/inorganic chemicals, the diverse range of microorganisms found in poultry wastewater inspired us to investigate the viability of generating electricity using microbial fuel cells. From the investigated bacterial strains, the highest voltage outputs were produced by strains A1 (Lysinibacillus sphaericus) and A2 (Bacillus cereus), respectively, at 402 mV and 350 mV. Among the 10 different bacterial strains, strain A6 generated the least amount of electricity, measuring 35.03 mV. Furthermore, a maximum power density of 16.16 1.02 mW/m2 was achieved by the microbial fuel cell using strain A1, significantly outperforming the microbial fuel cell using a sterile medium. The strain A2 showed significant current and power densities of 35 1.12 mA/m2 and 12.25 1.05 mW/m2, respectively. Moreover, in the two representative strains, chemical oxygen demand removal and Coulombic efficiency were noted. Samples from the effluent anode chamber were taken in order to gauge the effectiveness of chemical oxygen demand removal. Wastewater had an initial chemical oxygen demand content of 350 mg/L on average. Strains A1 and A2 decomposed 94.28% and 91.71%, respectively, of the organic substrate, according to the chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency values after 72 h. Strains A1 and A2 had electron donor oxidation efficiencies for 72 h of 54.1% and 60.67%, respectively. The Coulombic efficiency increased as the chemical oxygen demand decreased, indicating greater microbial electroactivity. With representative strains A1 and A2, Coulombic efficiencies of 10% and 3.5%, respectively, were obtained in the microbial fuel cell. The findings of this study greatly advance the field as a viable source of power technology for alternative energy in the future, which is important given the depletion of natural resources.