MESSAI.iO
Generic MFCRepresentative model
Click to animate flow
loading 3D model…

Representative MFC — matched on the paper’s system type only, not its reactor or geometry.

Extraction

Reported parameters

No values extracted from this paper yet.

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

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are emerging as a sustainable technology for waste to energy conversion where electrode materials play a vital role on its performance. Platinum (Pt) is the most common material used as cathode catalyst in the MFCs. However, the high cost and low earth abundance associated with Pt prompt the researcher to explore inexpensive catalysts. The present study demonstrates a noble metal-free MFC using a manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4)/polyaniline (PANI)-based electrode material. The MnFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and MnFe2O4 NPs/PANI hybrid composite not only exhibited superior oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity for the air cathode but also enhanced anode half-cell potential upon modifying carbon cloth anode in the single-chambered MFC. This is attributed to the improved extracellular electron transfer of exoelectrogens due to Fe³⁺ in MnFe2O4 and its capacitive nature. The present work demonstrates for the first time the dual property of MnFe2O4 NPs/PANI, i.e., as cathode catalyst and an anode modifier, thereby promising cost-effective MFCs for practical applications.

Keywords

Materials scienceMicrobial fuel cellPolyanilineAnodeCathodeBifunctionalChemical engineeringElectrodeFerrite (magnet)CatalysisManganeseNanotechnologyPolymerizationComposite materialMetallurgyChemistryOrganic chemistry

Identifiers

DOI
10.1021/acsami.5b05273
Journal
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
Year
2015