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Researchers developed a method to enhance bioelectricity generation from wastewater using nanocoated microbial fuel cell electrodes, achieving higher electrical conductivity and power density compared to uncoated electrodes.

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What they did

System
MFC
Substrate
real wastewater

What worked

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Abstract

Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are devices where bacteria generate electrical energy by oxidizing organic matter in wastewater. The implementation of MFCs on a commercial scale is limited due to electrode resistances, which are one of the key factors limiting electricity generation. This study presents a method to maximize the electrical power production from MFCs by coating the electrodes using nanomaterials which leads to prototyping novel electrodes having higher electrical conductivity than common electrodes. The voltage reached 1.234 V directly after operating the MFCs, with nanocoated electrodes, and showed voltage stability till the end of the 140 h interval with a peak value of 1.367 V with a maximum areal power density of 116 mW m −2 and a maximum volumetric power density of 15.6 mW m −3 . However, the voltage of the control (without coating) was steadily increased to 0.616 V after 22 h with a maximum areal power density of 23.6 mW m −2 and a maximum volumetric power density of 3.2 mW m −3 then showed voltage stability till the end of the 140 h interval. It was found that the coulombic efficiency of the MFCs where its electrodes are coated with graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets was higher than graphene, carbon nanotubes, and the control in a descending order, respectively. By this method, it is possible to improve the electrical conductivity of the MFCs which results in increasing the generated electrical power by 4.9 times the conventional method.

Key findings

  • Nanocoated electrodes reached a voltage of 1.234 V and showed voltage stability for 140 h with a peak value of 1.367 V.
  • Maximum areal power density of 116 mW m⁻² and maximum volumetric power density of 15.6 mW m⁻³ were achieved with nanocoated electrodes.
  • Control (uncoated) electrodes showed a maximum areal power density of 23.6 mW m⁻² and a maximum volumetric power density of 3.2 mW m⁻³.

Keywords

Microbial fuel cellPower densityElectrodeFaraday efficiencyGraphitic carbon nitrideChemical engineering

Identifiers

DOI
10.1007/s13399-022-02321-7
Journal
Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery
Year
2022