Immobilization of a Metal–Nitrogen–Carbon Catalyst on Activated Carbon with Enhanced Cathode Performance in Microbial Fuel Cells
Wulin Yang, Bruce E. Logan
AI summary
70% confidenceResearchers developed an Fe–N–C co-catalyst immobilized on activated carbon, improving oxygen reduction reaction and increasing power density in microbial fuel cells.
Generated by MESSAI extraction pipeline · review against source PDF
Representative MFC — matched on the paper’s system type only, not its reactor or geometry.
Open in lab for full controls, parameter editing, and template overlays.
Open in lab →What they did
- System
- MFC
What worked
No outcome metrics extracted yet.
Abstract
Abstract Applications of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are limited in part by low power densities mainly due to cathode performance. Successful immobilization of an Fe–N–C co‐catalyst on activated carbon (Fe–N–C/AC) improved the oxygen reduction reaction to nearly a four‐electron transfer, compared to a twoelectron transfer achieved using AC. With acetate as the fuel, the maximum power density was 4.7±0.2 W m −2 , which is higher than any previous report for an air‐cathode MFC. With domestic wastewater as a fuel, MFCs with the Fe–N–C/AC cathode produced up to 0.8±0.03 W m −2 , which was twice that obtained with a Pt‐catalyzed cathode. The use of this Fe–N–C/AC catalyst can therefore substantially increase power production, and enable broader applications of MFCs for renewable electricity generation using waste materials.
Key findings
- Maximum power density of 4.7±0.2 W m⁻² achieved with acetate as fuel
- Fe–N–C/AC cathode produced up to 0.8±0.03 W m⁻² with domestic wastewater as fuel
- Power production increased by twice with Fe–N–C/AC cathode compared to Pt-catalyzed cathode
Keywords
Identifiers
- Journal
- ChemSusChem
- Year
- 2016