Improvement in Photo-Potential Characteristics of TiO₂Electrode Assembling to Marine Microbial Fuel Cell
Sho Tamura, Motoaki Morita, Shinichi Motoda, Susumu Uematsu +1
AI summary
70% confidenceResearchers improved the photo-potential characteristics of TiO2 electrodes in a marine microbial fuel cell by assembling a double layered anode, resulting in increased cell voltage.
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- MFC
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Abstract
It has been reported that the potential of stainless steel (S.S.) ennobles to 400 mV by the formation of biofilm in seawater. This phenomenon can lead to the development of a battery by coupling an active counter electrode. On the other hand, TiO 2 is well known as an n-type semiconductor which exhibits the photo-catalytic effect under the UV irradiation. When a TiO 2 coated metal is irradiated by the UV light, excited electrons are transferred to the base metal, this phenomenon leads to the active shift of electrode potential. This effect can be applied to microbial fuel cell as a non-sacrifice electrode. We have investigated the electrochemical characteristics of the marine microbial fuel cell (MMFC) composed of biofilm covered stainless steel cathode and TiO 2 anode in seawater. However, it is needed to improve the photo-potential characteristics of electrodes for the practical application.The present work attempted to improve the battery performance by assembling the double layered TiO 2 anode electrode.Results from experimental, by using the double layered anode for MFC, cell voltage increases 120 mV and maximum power density enhances 1.4 times compared with the value of single layered one coated by squeegee printing method. The double layered electrode has anatase / rutile hetero-junction, therefore it promotes the electron transfer between base metal and TiO 2 coating interface. In addition, the double layered electrode has a high durability against the cyclic irradiation because TiO 2 intermediate layer behaves as a corrosion protective barrier which suppresses the direct contact between electrolyte and base metal.
Key findings
- The formation of biofilm on stainless steel electrodes in seawater can ennable the potential to 400 mV.
- TiO2 exhibits photo-catalytic effects under UV irradiation, allowing for the transfer of excited electrons to the base metal.
- The use of a double layered TiO2 anode in a marine microbial fuel cell increased cell voltage.
Keywords
Identifiers
- Journal
- ECS Transactions
- Year
- 2014