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Researchers developed iron-based air cathodes to replace CRM-based catalysts in MFCs, achieving improved performance with a maximum power density of 1028 mWm-2.

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Single-chamber air-cathode MFCRepresentative model
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Representative single-chamber air-cathode MFC — matched on the paper’s reported configuration, not its exact geometry.

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What they did

System
MFC
Substrate
real wastewater
Inoculum
mixed culture (Shewanella oneidensis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Geobacter sulfurreducens mentioned as examples)

What worked

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Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are sustainable energy recovery systems because they use organic waste as biofuel. Using critical raw materials (CRMs), like platinum-group metals, at the cathode side threatens MFC technology’s sustainability and raises costs. By developing an efficient electrode design for MFC performance enhancement, CRM-based cathodic catalysts should be replaced with CRM-free materials. This work proposes developing and optimizing iron-based air cathodes for enhancing oxygen reduction in MFCs. By subjecting iron phthalocyanine and carbon black pearls to controlled thermal treatments, we obtained Fe-based electrocatalysts combining high surface area (628 m² g⁻¹) and catalytic activity for O2 reduction at near-neutral pH. The electrocatalysts were integrated on carbon cloth and carbon paper to obtain gas diffusion electrodes whose architecture was optimized to maximize MFC performance. Excellent cell performance was achieved with the carbon-paper-based cathode modified with the Fe-based electrocatalysts (maximum power density-PDmax = 1028 mWm−2) compared to a traditional electrode design based on carbon cloth (619 mWm−2), indicating the optimized cathodes as promising electrodes for energy recovery in an MFC application.

Key findings

  • Fe-based electrocatalysts with high surface area (628 m² g⁻¹) and catalytic activity for O2 reduction at near-neutral pH were obtained.
  • Optimized cathodes with carbon paper and Fe-based electrocatalysts outperformed traditional electrode designs based on carbon cloth.
  • Maximum power density of 1028 mWm-2 was achieved with the optimized cathodes.

Keywords

Microbial fuel cellBiochemical engineeringProcess engineeringElectrode

Identifiers

DOI
10.3390/catal14060385
Journal
Catalysts
Year
2024