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Researchers developed nanomaterial-modified carbon microfibre electrodes to improve microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance. The modified electrodes showed significant improvements in power density, with the best results achieved using ZnO/NiO/PANI and MnO2/PANI attachments. These findings have implications for the widespread adoption of MFC technology.

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What they did

System
MFC

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Abstract

ABSTRACT High cathodic overpotential of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in MFC carbon-based cathodes is one of the key barriers to the widespread adoption of the technology. Current Pt-based ORR catalysts are expensive. The use of novel and inexpensive catalysts as replacements for platinum is therefore desirable. In this study, nanomaterials were directly chemically synthesized on carbon microfiber electrodes to improve the performance of lake sediment inoculated MFCs. Nanomaterial of MnO 2 , MnO 2 /polyaniline (PANI), ZnO/NiO and ZnO/NiO/PANI attachments were directly chemically synthesized on the carbon material and used as cathode electrodes. The maximum power densities recorded for the different treatments were; MnO 2 78.5 mW/m 2 , MnO 2 /PANI (Polyaniline) 141.6 mW/m 2 , ZnO/NiO 67.6 mW/m 2 , and ZnO/NiO/PANI 129.4 mW/m 2 . The current and poswer densities were more than six-fold higher in ZnO/NiO/PANI and MnO 2 /PANI nanoparticle modified cathodes compared to the control MFCs with no catalyst. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and FTIR data and SEM images suggest that the nanoparticle attached carbon material is morphologically, chemically and electrochemically different from the controls with no nanomaterial attachment. The outcome of this study demonstrates that nanomaterials-incorporated carbon microfiber cathodes bring about significant enhancements to power densities and may potentially have applications in cost-effective MFCs.

Key findings

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Keywords

NanomaterialsCyclic voltammetryNon-blocking I/OChemical engineeringPolyanilineCathode

Identifiers

DOI
10.1101/2023.07.10.548441
Journal
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Year
2023