Influence of Nickel molybdate nanocatalyst for enhancing biohydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cell utilizing sugar industrial effluent

Abstract

Biohydrogen production in Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC) had inspired the researchers to overcome the challenges associated towards sustainability. Despite microbial community and various substrates, economical cathode catalyst development is most significant factor for enhancing hydrogen production in the MEC. Hence, in this study, the performance of MEC was investigated with a sugar industry effluent (COD 4200 ± 20 mg/L) with graphite anode and modified Nickel foam (NF) cathode. Nickel molybdate (NiMoO 4 ) coated NF achieved a higher hydrogen production rate 0.12 ± 0.01 L.L -1 D -1 as compared to control under favorable conditions. Electrochemical characterizations demonstrated that the improved catalytic activity of novel nanocatalyst with lower impedance favoring faster hydrogen evolution kinetics. The MEC with the novel catalyst performed with 58.2% coloumbic efficiency, 20.36% cathodic hydrogen recovery, 11.96% overall hydrogen recovery and 54.38% COD removal efficiency for a 250 mL substrate during 5 days' batch cycle. Hence, the potentiality of modified cathode was established with the real time industrial effluent highlighting the waste to wealth bio-electrochemical technology.

Key findings

• ▸Nickel molybdate nanocatalyst significantly enhances biohydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cells.
• ▸The use of sugar industrial effluent as a substrate for biohydrogen production is a promising approach for waste valorization.
• ▸The addition of nickel molybdate nanocatalyst improves the stability and efficiency of the microbial electrolysis cell.

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124284

PubMed

33137640

Journal

Bioresource Technology

Year

2021