Ganesan V. Murugesu, Saiful Nizam Khalid, Hussain Shareef et al.

Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science • 2025

This paper presents the correlation between open circuit voltage (OCV) and pH, temperature, and total dissolved solids (TDS) of an air cathode single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) using artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms. Previous works used terminal voltages as output parameters to determine the correlation between MFCs' input and output parameters. However, OCV is the most important measurement that can determine the validity of the MFC. Thus, various tests were conducted to analyze the correlation between OCV and input parameters using ANN and SVM algorithms. Both techniques show a strong correlation between OCV and input parameters with the highest R2 values. The highest OCV value obtained from the experiment is 1.179 V at pH 5.26, temperature 299K, and TDS 3,124 ppm. Furthermore, an ANN model was developed to predict the OCV value based on pH, temperature, and TDS value.

Chaijak Pimprapa, Sinkan Purimprach, Wetchapan Patcharida

Jurnal Teknologi • 2022

Palm oil milled effluent (POME) is one of the most environmental concerned industrial wastewater owing to its complex structure. Melanoidin is a highly stable content in POME that caused the dark color. In this study, the Galactomyces sp. rich consortium TM11 with high laccase activity was used to remove a contaminated melanoidin from raw POME. Besides, the single chamber ceramic microbial fuel cell (sCMFC) was developed to eliminate melanoidin and simultaneously generate electrical power. The results indicated that the maximal current density and power density of 215.56±5.09 mA/m2 and 139.44±6.56 mW/m2 were reached. Whereas the melanoidin removal of 83.50±2.93% was obtained. This study was the first reported of using laccase producing yeast comsortium to remove melanoidin and generate electrical power.

Yulia Plekhanova, Sergey Tarasov, Vladimir Kolesov et al.

Preprints.org • 2018

The anode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) was formed on a graphite electrode and immobilized Gluconobacter oxydans VKM-1280 bacterial cells. Immobilization was performed in chitosan, poly(vinyl alcohol) or N-vinylpyrrolidone-modified poly(vinyl alcohol). Ethanol was used as substrate. The anode was modified using multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The aim of the modification was to create a conductive network between cell lipid membranes, containing exposed PQQ-dependent alcoholdehydrogenases, and the electrode to facilitate electron transfer in the system. The bioelectrochemical characteristics of modified anodes at various cell/polymer ratios were assessed via current density, power density, polarization curves and impedance spectres. MFCs based on chitosan at a matrix/cell volume ratio of 5:1 produced maximal power characteristics of the system (8.3 μW/cm2) at a minimal resistance (1111 Ohm cm2). Modification of the anode by multiwalled carbon nanotubes led to a slight decrease of internal resistance (down to 1078 Ohm cm2) and to an increase of generated power density up to 10.6 μW/cm2. We explored the possibility of accumulating electric energy from an MFC on a 6,800-μF capacitor via a boost converter. Generated voltage was increased from 0.3 V up to 3.2 V. Accumulated energy was used to power a Clark-type biosensor and a bluetooth transmitter with three sensors, a miniature electric motor and a light-emitting diode.

Yuhong Zhou, Guowang Zhou, Lu Yin et al.

ChemElectroChem • 2016

Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) provide a new opportunity to produce sustainable energy from the treatment of the organic matter in wastewater. However, the power density of MFCs for large‐scale application is limited by the performance of anode, with one of the major factors being low bacterial adhesion capacity. In this work, a novel macroporous sugarcane carbon (SC) is prepared by a direct carbonization process, and is used as anode material in a packed MFC. A maximum power density of 59.94±2.81 W m −3 is achieved in an MFC equipped with the SC anode, which is 2.62 times higher than that of the granular activated carbon (GAC) anode. A microbial analysis shows that the SC anode has a higher amount of biomass and the abundance of Geobacter is 6.6 times higher than that of the GAC anode, which indicates that the SC anode has higher biocompatibility. Further studies show that the macroporous structure, high surface roughness, large surface hydrophobicity and low absolute value of zeta potential favor bacterial adhesion to the SC anode surface. Therefore, this study provides an excellent anode material for high‐performance MFCs, and reveals the impact of physicochemical properties on power generation.

Ilmi Wahyuni, Heri Heriyono, Aisyah Aisyah et al.

ALCHEMY • 2022

Sugarcane molasses have been reported as potential biomass to produce electricity from its metabolic processes through the microbial fuel cell (MFC) system. However, it is important to improve electrical generation by using both appropriate and readily available substrates and microorganisms. This study aimed to determine the current and potential difference as well as the power density generated from the metabolic process of the molasses substrate. A dual-chamber of MFC was arranged in series to generate electrical current. The anode chamber contained a mixture of molasses substrate, potassium phosphate buffer pH 7, and Pseudomonas sp. The cathode chamber contained 0.2 M KMnO4 electrolyte solution. Measurement of current and potential differences was conducted every 4 hours for 36 hours. The results showed that the maximum current, potential difference, and power density were 1656 mV, 1582 µA, and 1794.37 mW/m2, respectively.Keywords: dual chamber, microbial fuel cell, molasses, Pseudomonas sp. Molase telah banyak dilaporkan sebagai salah satu sumber energi listrik yang potensial dengan menggunakan sistem microbial fuel cell (MFC). Namun demikian, produksi energi listriknya perlu ditingkatkan dengan menggunakan substrat dan mikroorganisme yang tepat dan mudah diperoleh. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui arus dan beda potensial serta nilai kerapatan daya yang dihasilkan dari proses metabolisme substrat molase menggunakan bakteri Pseudomonas sp. Penelitian ini menggunakan sistem MFC kompartemen ganda sebanyak dua sel yang dirangkai seri. Ruang anoda berisi campuran substrat molase, buffer kalium fosfat pH 7 dan bakteri Pseudomonas sp. Adapun ruang katoda berisi larutan elektrolit KMnO4 0,2 M. Pengukuran arus dan beda potensial dilakukan setiap 4 jam selama 36 jam. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang dilakukan didapatkan nilai arus, beda potensial maksimum dan kerapatan daya masing-masing sebesar 1656 mV, 1582 µA dan 1794,37 mW/m2.Kata kunci: dua sel, microbial fuel cell, molase, Pseudomonas sp

Sébastien Votat, Maxime Pontié, Emmanuel Jaspard et al.

Energies • 2024

In the present study, CV dye, known as a recalcitrant dye, was tested for bioremediation via Trichoderma harzianum in a dual-chambered MFC for the first time. Two types of carbon clothes, KIP and CSV from the Dacarb company (France), were tested as electrodes and supported for fungi growth. We first observed that 52% and 55% of the CV were removed by the MFC using KIP and CSV anodes, respectively. The incomplete removal of VC was explained by the relative toxicity of VC to T. harzianum and correlated with IC50 determined as 0.97 ± 0.28 mg L−1 at 25 °C. Furthermore, the MFC working with the KIP electrode was more efficient with a higher maximum power density of 1096 mW m−3 and was only 14.1 mW m−3 for CSV. The MFC experiments conducted on KIP without the T. harzianum biofilm exhibited significantly lower potential and power density values, which proves the electrocatalytic effect of this fungus. These results provide new insight into the development of an effective MFC system capable of direct energy generation and, at the same time, promoting the bioremediation of the persistent CV pollutant.

Tomasz Bednarek

E3S Web of Conferences • 2021

The performance of the PEM fuel cell directly depends on the partial pressure of provided reactants, namely hydrogen and oxygen. Since reactants are consumed in the fuel cell reaction, partial pressure of reactants decreases in the direction of reactants flow. This well-known mechanism makes the performance of the fuel cell dependent on the stoichiometry ratios of input reactants. The JRC ZERO∇CELL, a single cell PEM fuel cell testing setup, is developed to provide as much as possible uniform operating conditions at the 10cm 2 active area specimen, hence giving uniform current density across the active area of the cell. To investigate what is the real gradient of current density across the active area for the JRC ZERO∇CELL at various reactant stoichiometry ratios, segmented bi-polar plates and current collectors are developed. This study presents experimental investigation of the current density distribution across the active area of the JRC ZERO∇CELL setup at range of reactant stoichiometry ratios from λ = 2 up to λ = 15. Current density gradients are considered along the gas flow as well as in the transverse direction. The experimental results show that the current density gradient across the active area, although dependant on the reactants stoichiometry ratios, is relatively small as compared with a wide range of investigated stoichiometry ratios.

Fatemeh Bagherighajari, Abbas Moradi Bilondi, Mohammadmahdi Abdollahzadehsangroudi et al.

Fuel Cells • 2023

Abstract Flow field design is crucial for achieving higher performance in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). This study uses a two‐phase, multi‐component, and three‐dimensional model to simulate the performance of PEMFCs that use interdigitated flow field design with intermediate blocks on the cathode side. A detailed parametric study is presented to investigate the effects of various geometric and operational parameters. Of the parameters studied, inlet mass flow rate, relative humidity, and rib width had the greatest impact on cell performance. The results show that increasing the cathode stoichiometric ratio resulted in higher fuel cell performance for blocked interdigitated designs compared to parallel designs. In addition, using cathode channels with higher height values resulted in lower PEMFC performance for all flow fields. Higher values of rib/channel width ratio resulted in lower cell performance due to liquid water accumulation in the rib regions. However, at higher rib/channel width ratios, the positive effect of using interdigitated flow designs was more pronounced. Moreover, at a low relative humidity of RH = 25%, a 10.4% higher performance was obtained for the interdigitated type II compared to cases with RH = 100%, due to more effective over‐rib convection and higher water removal.

Sooyoun Yu, Qi Chen, Wilfred Chen et al.

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2019

Even though enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) are considered as a promising green alternative method of power generation, much of their research has been limited to the use of a single enzyme as biocatalyst, leading to incomplete oxidation as well as limited range of simple fuels. In this work, enzymatic fuel cell utilizing multienzyme cascade system immobilized on DNA scaffold as anodic biocatalyst as well as high-surface area, electrically conductive carbonaceous nanofibers (CNFs) as electrodes was built for the first time to accommodate a complex molecule such as cellulose as fuel. Three cellulases and cellulose-binding domain (CBD) were expressed in E.Coli, purified using elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) and then conjugated with DNA linker using a fusion partner called HaloTag. All four enzymes and commercial glucose oxidase (GOx) were site-specifically immobilized on customized DNA template via hybridization for efficient cellulose hydrolysis and subsequent glucose oxidation. Varied number of enzymes were combined on the DNA scaffold and resulting reaction rate was compared to the same number of enzymes freely suspended in solution. Successful immobilization of enzymes on the DNA template increased the reaction rate up to 10-fold compared to when they were in solution, confirming the synergistic effect of the multiple enzymes immobilized on a scaffold. Investigation of temperature and pH effect revealed imitating the enzymes’ typical habitat (i.e. 37 o C and pH5) further increased the reaction rate of the multienzyme system. Carbonaceous nanofibers (CNFs) were used as the electrodes for both anode and cathode, which were first produced as polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers via electrospinning method. Three sets of design of experiments (DOEs) were used to systematically vary the solution, electrospinning, and environmental conditions. Analyses of the effect of the conditions on nanofiber diameter and bead density allowed for minimization of PAN nanofiber diameter down to 38 ± 7 nm with negligible bead density. PAN nanofibers were then converted to CNFs via a two-step heat treatment, and their resulting molecular structure confirmed by FT-IR and XRD was graphitic. Electrical conductivity characterized by 4-point probe measurement supported that CNFs were suitable for electrode applications, ranging from 1.2 to 7.4 S/cm. Electrochemical characterization of CNF mat electrode functionalized with GOx exhibited direct electron transfer from GOx cofactor to the CNF mat electrode at E=-0.63 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Anodic performance of CNF mat electrode functionalized with multienzyme system was electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Finally, cellulolytic enzymatic fuel cell was assembled with the multienzymatic CNF anode and CNF cathode, which was functionalized with bilirubin oxidase for oxygen reduction. Figure 1. Schematic representation of the cellulolytic enzymatic fuel cell with multienzyme cascade on DNA scaffold immobilized on carbonaceous nanofiber mat electrode. Components not drawn to scale. Figure 1

Muhammet OZDOGAN

Journal of Thermal Engineering • 2018

In this study, the effects of the working pressure and temperature on the performance of the PEM fuel cell were investigated numerically. Non-isothermal, steady-state and single-phase model was used to examine the behaviour of the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells in the three-dimensional condition. The three-dimensional single-cell model has been developed within FLUENT 6.3 software by utilizing the PEMFC module. The results of polarization (voltage) variation curves and current density distribution were given and compared with each other. According to the results obtained, by keeping humidification and cell temperatures in equilibrium, the performance of the cell improves with the increasing cell temperature. In addition, the current density of the cell increases with the increasing operating pressure.

Miguel Ángel López Zavala, Iris Cassandra Cámara Gutiérrez

Fermentation • 2023

In this study, the effects of an external resistance, new electrode material, and non-conventional catholyte on the energy generation and performance of a dual-chamber MFC were evaluated. Ten different resistances (15 Ω–220 kΩ), hydrophilically-treated graphene and graphite electrodes, and a 0.1 M HCl solution as a catholyte were assessed. The results showed that greater energy generation and power density were achieved at an external resistance of 2 kΩ and internal resistance between 2 and 5 kΩ on average; meanwhile, the greatest coulombic efficiency was obtained at the lowest external resistance evaluated (15 Ω). Therefore, it is recommended to operate the MFCs at the external resistance between 2 and 5 kΩ to ensure the maximum power generation of the dual chamber MFCs. Regarding the two electrode materials evaluated as an anode and cathode, hydrophilically-treated graphene was found to be a much better material to enhance the energy production and performance of the MFC system; therefore, its use is suggested in experimental and practical applications. On the other hand, the use of HCl as a catholyte enhanced the performance of MFC (constant and steady potential and greater coulombic efficiency) in most cases.

Doo Hyun Park, J. Gregory Zeikus

Biotechnology and Bioengineering • 2002

Abstract A new one‐compartment fuel cell was composed of a rubber bunged bottle with a center‐inserted anode and a window‐mounted cathode containing an internal, proton‐permeable porcelain layer. This fuel cell design was less expensive and more practical than the conventional two‐compartment system, which requires aeration and a ferricyanide solution in the cathode compartment. Three new electrodes containing bound electron mediators including a Mn 4+ ‐graphite anode, a neutral red (NR) covalently linked woven graphite anode, and an Fe 3+ ‐graphite cathode were developed that greatly enhanced electrical energy production (i.e., microbial electron transfer) over conventional graphite electrodes. The potentials of these electrodes measured by cyclic voltametry at pH 7.0 were (in volts): +0.493 (Fe 3+ ‐graphite); +0.15 (Mn 4+ ‐graphite); and −0.53 (NR‐woven graphite). The maximal electrical productivities obtained with sewage sludge as the biocatalyst and using a Mn 4+ ‐graphite anode and a Fe 3+ ‐graphite cathode were 14 mA current, 0.45 V potential, 1,750 mA/m 2 current density, and 788 mW/m 2 of power density. With Escherichia coli as the biocatalyst and using a Mn 4+ ‐graphite anode and a Fe 3+ ‐graphite cathode, the maximal electrical productivities obtained were 2.6 mA current, 0.28 V potential, 325 mA/m 2 current density, and 91 mW/m 2 of power density. These results show that the amount of electrical energy produced by microbial fuel cells can be increased 1,000‐fold by incorporating electron mediators into graphite electrodes. These results also imply that sewage sludge may contain unique electrophilic microbes that transfer electrons more readily than E. coli and that microbial fuel cells using the new Mn 4+ ‐graphite anode and Fe 3+ ‐graphite cathode may have commercial utility for producing low amounts of electrical power needed in remote locations. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 81: 348–355, 2003.

Eda Sonmez, Burcak Avci, Nourhan Mohamed et al.

The European Chemistry and Biotechnology Journal • 2024

The effect of platinum (Pt) loadings of air-cathodes in the 0-0.5 mg cm-2 range on single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance and cathode impedance was evaluated. In MFC tests, reducing benchmarking Pt loading of 0.5 mg cm-2 to 0.1-0 mg cm-2 decreased maximum power density by between 38% and 84%. The decrease in cathode open circuit potential with reduced loadings was small down to a catalyst loading of 0.03 mg cm-2, but was significant when the loading was further reduced to 0.01 or 0 mg cm-2. Impedance measurements of cathodes revealed that both charge-transfer and diffusion resistance increase with decreasing catalyst loadings on cathodes. Charge-transfer resistance of benchmarking cathode increased to a small extent when loadings were reduced to 0.1-0.03 mg cm-2. Below 0.03 mg cm-2, dramatic increase of charge-transfer resistance suggested that 0.03 mg cm-2 can be considered as the minimum Pt loading for which kinetic limitations are not of great concern and can be overcome to a large extent compared to lower loadings. In comparison to charge-transfer resistance, diffusion resistance differed more significantly between the loadings of 0.03 and 0.5 mg cm-2; and it was therefore the main component that changed the internal resistance of these cathodes.

Yong Juan Zhang, Min Zhang, Xin Yao et al.

Advanced Materials Research • 2010

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) was used to treat organic wastewater and heavy metal waste water treatment in this test. At the same time, organic waste water tank with the oxidation is taken as the battery anode; heavy metal waste water tank with reduction is taken as the cathode of the battery. The results showed that under the same conditions, with copper ion solution as a cathode liquid solution of MFC, the maximum voltage was 61.6mV, the maximum electric power density was 147.4 mW / cm2, and COD removal rate was relatively stable, and reached 68.67%; but when copper ion solution was taken as cathode solution, the maximum voltage was 36.9mV, the maximum electric power density was 43.7 mW / cm2, and COD removal rate changed heavily and reached 58.62%. The results shows that from the point of produce electricity and wastewater treatment, silver ions are better than copper.

Reuben Yao Tamakloe, Michael Kweku Edem Donkor, Keshaw Singh

European Scientific Journal, ESJ • 2017

The main challenges in the construction of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are the identification of materials, designs, and architectures that may maximize power generation efficiency and fabrication cost. In view of these facts, an attempt was made to design and fabricate Multi – Chamber MFCs of different configuration using locally available Mfensi clay as ionexchange partitions. The performance of each micro-cell, combined effect of the total system as one cell, and the overall performance were studied. The volume of each chamber of these cells was approximately 130 cm3 . It was found that the wastewater of chemical oxygen demand (COD) that was 6340 gm/L used in the MFCs yielded a maximum open circuit voltage (OCV) of 1421 ± 30 mV. The peak power density of 33.30 mW/cm2 (0.037 mA/cm2 ) at 1000 Ω was normalized to the anode surface area

Pierangela Cristiani, Paolo Bonelli, Alessandro Liberale et al.

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2018

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are a promising technology to harvest energy from aquatic environments and act as sensing devices at the same time. Several prototypes of sediment MFCs have been tested in the past and more recently floating systems have been investigated as well, with encouraging results both in terms of energy harvesting and sensing. The challenge is now to scale up laboratory MFC designs for self-powering water quality sensors and implement these in real environments, where electricity sources may not be available. In this work, the performances of floating MFCs, suitably designed for aerobic and anaerobic water environments, were studied in long-term experiments. Several designs of flat and tubular cells were tested, using low-cost materials, such as plastic lunch boxes, and polystyrene or wood to keep the system afloat. Untreated carbon cloth, free of any chemical catalyst, was used for the electrodes. Flat MFCs were able to generate up to 15 mW/m 2 , depending on nutrient availability in the water. The electric performance of cathodes and anodes were differently correlated to chemical and physical water parameters (day/night cycle, chemical oxygen demand, total carbon content, nitrates and temperature among others). The Total Organic Carbon and Total Inorganic Carbon in the tank were continuously monitored with Sievers 820 Portable Total Organic Carbon Analyzer and compared to the current production of the cells. Different types of power management systems had to be suitably designed, depending of the range of power produced by the MFC prototypes. A new generation of low-energy remote system (LORA) was integrated in an electronic circuit to harvest the power generated from MFCs and to transmit signals over long distance. The experimentation was carried out in the wastewater plant site at Carimate (Figure 1), Como (Italy) and in the pool of the city garden “Orto Botanico Città Studi” at Milan (Italy). Figure 1

Jiqiang Zhang, Zaiwang Zhang, Kun Rong et al.

Processes • 2022

In this study, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) that can achieve simultaneous anode anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) and electricity generation (anode anammox MFC) by high-effective anammox bacteria fed with purely inorganic nitrogen media was constructed. As the influent concentrations of ammonium (NH4+-N) and nitrite (NO2−-N) gradually increased from 25 to 250 mg/L and 33–330 mg/L, the removal efficiencies of NH4+-N, NO2−-N and TN were over 90%, 90% and 80%, respectively, and the maximum volumetric nitrogen removal rate reached 3.01 ± 0.27 kgN/(m3·d). The maximum voltage and maximum power density were 225.48 ± 10.71 mV and 1308.23 ± 40.38 mW/m3, respectively. Substrate inhibition took place at high nitrogen concentrations (NH4+-N = 300 mg/L, NO2−-N = 396 mg/L). Electricity production performance significantly depended upon the nitrogen removal rate under different nitrogen concentrations. The reported low coulombic efficiency (CE, 4.09–5.99%) may be due to severe anodic polarization. The anode charge transfer resistance accounted for about 90% of the anode resistance. The anode process was the bottleneck for energy recovery and should be further optimized in anode anammox MFCs. The high nitrogen removal efficiency with certain electricity recovery potential in the MFCs suggested that anode anammox MFCs may be used in energy sustainable nitrogen-containing wastewater treatment.

S. E. Oh, J. R. Kim, J.-H. Joo et al.

Water Science and Technology • 2009

Oxygen intrusion into the anode chamber through proton exchange membrane can result in positive redox conditions in fed-batch, two chamber MFCs at the end of a cycle when the substrate is depleted. A slight increase in dissolved oxygen to 0.3 mg/L during MFC operation was not found to adversely affect power generation over subsequent cycles if sufficient substrate (acetate) was provided. Purging the anode chamber with air or pure oxygen for up to 10 days and 10 hrs also did not affect power generation, as power rapidly returned to previous levels when the chamber was sparged with nitrogen gas. When MFCs are connected in series, voltage reversal can occur resulting in a positive voltage applied to the anode biofilm. To investigate if this adversely affected the bacteria, voltages of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 9 V, were applied for 1 hr to the MFC before reconnecting it back to a fixed external load (1,000 Ω). A voltage of <2 V did not affect power generation. However, applying 3 V resulted in a 15 h lag phase before recovery, and 9 V produced a 60 h lag phase suggesting substantial damage to the bacteria that required re-growth of bacteria in the biofilm. These results indicate that charge reversal will be a more serious problem than oxygen intrusion into the anode chamber for sustained performance of MFCs.

Wilgince Apollon, Alejandro Isabel Luna-Maldonado, Juan Antonio Vidales-Contreras et al.

Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences • 2022

Plant microbial fuel cell (Plant-MFC) is an emerging technology that uses the metabolic activity of electrochemically active bacteria (EABs) to continue the production of bioelectricity. Since its invention and to date, great efforts have been made for its application both in real-time and large-scale. However, the construction of platforms or systems for automatic voltage monitoring has been insufficiently studied. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an automatic real-time voltage data acquisition system, which was coupled with an ATMEGA2560 connected to a personal computer. Before the system operation started it was calibrated to obtain accurate data. During this experiment, the power generation performance of two types of reactors i.e. (i) Plant-MFC and (ii) control microbial fuel cell (C-MFC), was evaluated for 15 days. The Plant-MFC was planted with an herbaceous perennial plant (Stevia rebaudiana), electrode system was placed close to the plant roots at the depth of 20 cm. The results of the study have indicated that the Plant-MFC, was more effective and achieved higher bioelectricity generation than C-MFC. The maximum voltage reached with Plant-MFC was 850 mV (0.85 V), whereas C-MFC achieved a maximum voltage of 762 mV (0.772 V). Furthermore, the same reactor demonstrated a maximum power generation of 66 mW m¯2 on 10 min of polarization, while a power density with C-MFC was equal to 13.64 mW m¯2. S.rebaudiana showed a great alternative for power generation. In addition, the monitoring acquisition system was suitable for obtaining data in real-time. However, more studies are recommended to enhance this type of system.

L. Woodward, M. Perrier, B. Srinivasan et al.

AIChE Journal • 2010

Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) constitute a novel power generation technology that converts organic waste to electrical energy using microbially catalyzed electrochemical reactions. Since the power output of MFCs changes considerably with varying operating conditions, the online optimization of electrical load (i.e., external resistance) is extremely important for maintaining a stable MFC performance. The application of several real‐time optimization methods is presented, such as the perturbation and observation method, the gradient method, and the recently proposed multiunit method, for maximizing power output of MFCs by varying the external resistance. Experiments were carried out in two similar MFCs fed with acetate. Variations in substrate concentration and temperature were introduced to study the performance of each optimization method in the face of disturbances unknown to the algorithms. Experimental results were used to discuss advantages and limitations of each optimization method. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010

Muhammad Nihal Naseer, Asad A. Zaidi, Hamdullah Khan et al.

Catalysts • 2021

Microbial fuel cell, as a promising technology for simultaneous power production and waste treatment, has received a great deal of attention in recent years; however, generation of a relatively low power density is the main limitation towards its commercial application. This study contributes toward the optimization, in terms of maximization, of the power density of a microbial fuel cell by employing response surface methodology, coupled with central composite design. For this optimization study, the interactive effect of three independent parameters, namely (i) acetate concentration in the influent of anodic chamber; (ii) fuel feed flow rate in anodic chamber; and (iii) oxygen concentration in the influent of cathodic chamber, have been analyzed for a two-chamber microbial fuel cell, and the optimum conditions have been identified. The optimum value of power density was observed at an acetate concentration, a fuel feed flow rate, and an oxygen concentration value of 2.60 mol m−3, 0.0 m3, and 1.00 mol m−3, respectively. The results show the achievement of a power density of 3.425 W m−2, which is significant considering the available literature. Additionally, a statistical model has also been developed that correlates the three independent factors to the power density. For this model, R2, adjusted R2, and predicted R2 were 0.839, 0.807, and 0.703, respectively. The fact that there is only a 3.8% error in the actual and adjusted R2 demonstrates that the proposed model is statistically significant.

Mahnaz Izadi, Ali Mosallanejad, Alireza Lahooti Eshkevari

IET Power Electronics • 2022

Abstract This paper presents and comprehensively investigates a non‐isolated quadratic boost dc–dc converter (QBC), designed based on integrating a triple winding coupled inductor into the basic quadratic impedance network. The topology only contains ten components. It provides a high boost factor as well as high efficiency. Unlike most previous step‐up dc–dc converters, the employed improving method does not change the converter input current from continuous mode to pulsating or discontinuous shapes, making it suitable for connecting to the current sensitive resources. Thanks to this improvement, the voltage stress across the power switch is low, especially for higher winding coefficient values. A 20/240 V/240 W prototype has been designed and fabricated to evaluate the operating principle and performance of this QBC. Experimental results show the converter produces high gain (12 times as tested) and operate with high efficiency (up to 94%). Also, the voltage stress on the power switch is one‐third of the output voltage.

Jhonathan Prieto Rojas, Wejdan Alqarni, Muhammad Mustafa Hussain

Energy Technology • 2014

Abstract We have developed a sustainable, single feeding, microsized, air‐cathode and membrane‐free microbial fuel cells with a volume of 40 μL each, which we have used for rapid evaluation of power generation and viability of a series array of three cells seeking higher voltage levels. Contrary to expectations, the achieved power density was modest (45 mW m −3 ), limited due to non‐uniformities in assembly and the single‐channel feeding system.

Guang Yu Zhou, Yuichiro Yoshino, Takahiro Yamashita et al.

Applied Mechanics and Materials • 2012

Using wastewater as substrate, taking anaerobic sludge as inoculant, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have emerged in recent years, which can generate electricity and accomplish wastewater treatment simultaneously. Based on the evaluation indexes of output voltage, coulombic efficiency, power density and TOC removal rate, three abiotic factors, anode size, membrane and membrane size, affecting MFC performance were investigated with an orthogonal experiment (L 4 (2 3 )). The results show that the impact order of factors through analyzing the value “R” was “anode size > membrane > membrane size”. The optimal set with these three factors for the performance of MFCs was big size anode, Naf-117 and big size membrane. Meanwhile, the high TOC removal rate (more than 90%) and high acetates consumed rate (100%) show the MFCs have strong ability of wastewater treatment. Cation exchange membrane Yumi-28 has compared ability of wastewater treatment and energy-production potential in MFC work.

Chin-Tsan Wang, I-Ting Li, Jer-Huan Jang

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2024

Hexavalent chromium is considered as a human carcinogen due to its mutagenic and teratogenic properties, which can cause severe birth defects. Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a promising power generation device for sustainable energy. The application of MFC is limited due to low power generation. In the present study, a miniature biosensor based on microbial fuel cell has been designed and assembled for detecting hexavalent chromium in wastewater. The miniature biosensor can generate power for sustaining operation. The power provided by the biosensor has been studied in the present investigation. Besides, both conductive silver glue and carbon cloth are employed as the anode for the biosensor. Electrochemical analyses for the above materials are conducted for the biosensor in detecting hexavalent chromium in the anode chamber. It is found that the maximum voltage can reach up to 518.17 mV and the power density of 1,075 mW/cm 2 can be achieved with carbon cloth as the anode electrode using an external resistance of 1000W. It is also measured that a higher limiting current density can reach up to 0.015 mA/cm 2 with conductive silver glue as the anode electrode. Furthermore, the voltage output of the biosensor decreased severely with the addition of hexavalent chromium into the wastewater. In addition, the recovery time for the biosensor is much shorter than those in previous studies. It is concluded that the biosensor possesses the potential of simultaneous detection of hexavalent chromium and electricity generation, leading to a new era of autosensing applications in the environment as well as smart powering devices.

HADI WISA NUGRAHA, GUNAWAN DJAJAKIRANA, SYAIFUL ANWAR et al.

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity • 2020

Abstract. Nugraha HW, Djajakirana G, Anwar S, Santosa DA. 2020. Producing renewable electric energy through a microbial fuel cell in the rice field. Biodiversitas 21: 4139-4146. Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is an alternative technology that converts chemical energy into electrical energy using microbes. This study aimed to apply MFC technology in the rice field to produce renewable electricity by utilizing microbes that have been previously isolated. The study was conducted in two experiments. The first experiment was carried out to select MFC prototypes with different in the oxygen circulation system (anode and cathode holes) that capable of producing the highest Voltage. The second experiment was performed to test the selected MFC prototype for electricity production in 12 combination treatments of microbes, organic matter, and fertilization (mixed NPK fertilizer) with three replications on rice cultivation in a greenhouse. The results showed that the best MFC prototype was a prototype that has two holes, each at anode and cathode (MFC 2). The highest electrical Voltage was generated by the treatment with microbes and organic matter, without fertilizer. The treatments produced the highest electrical current was the addition of microbes, organic matter, without and with 50% fertilizer. The highest power density was generated by the treatment with microbes and organic matter, without fertilization. The addition of ex-situ isolated microbes significantly increased the production of electricity.

Mojdeh Lotfi, Habibollah Younesi, Bita Roshanravan et al.

Water and Environment Journal • 2023

Abstract This study confirmed the efficacy of modified electrode microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in removing chemical oxygen demand (COD) and generating electricity using wastewater from industrial meat processing. The findings of linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) demonstrated that applying CuO particles to carbon cloth (CC) significantly reduced the charge transfer resistance, resulting in improved electrochemical performance. In the batch experiment, the MFCs were conducted by applying different electrodes and Nafion‐117 as a proton exchange membrane (PEM). X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDAX) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses were performed to study the development of metal oxide on the electrode surface. The MFC operating with the CC/CuO electrode achieved a maximum COD removal (74.6%), which was attained at the peak power output of 82.56 mW/m 2 and the greatest current density of 213.33 mA/m 2 , as indicated by the polarization curve data. In light of these findings, coating CuO on the CC anode promotes electron transfer, enhances the electrode's conductivity and increases its electrochemical surface area. In summary, the findings of this study hold significant implications for sustainable electricity production and remarkable effects on environmental quality, highlighting the strategic importance of the research approach and outputs in addressing global energy and environmental challenges.

Jincheng Wei, Peng Liang, Kuichang Zuo et al.

ChemSusChem • 2012

Abstract A simple and low‐cost modification method was developed to improve the power generation performance of inexpensive semicoke electrode in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). After carbonization and activation with water vapor at 800–850 °C, the MFC with the activated coke (modified semicoke) anode produced a maximum power density of 74 W m −3 , 17 W m −3 , and 681 mW m −2 (normalized to anodic liquid volume, total reactor volume, and projected membrane surface area, respectively), which was 124 % higher than MFCs using a semicoke anode (33 W m −3 , 8 W m −3 , and 304 mW m −2 ). When they were used as biocathode materials, activated coke produced a maximum power density of 177 W m −3 , 41 W m −3 , and 1628 mW m −2 (normalized to cathodic liquid volume, total reactor volume, and projected membrane surface area, respectively), which was 211 % higher than that achieved by MFCs using a semicoke cathode (57 W m −3 , 13 W m −3 , and 524 mW m −2 ). A substantial increase was also noted in the conductivity, C/O mass ratio, and specific area for activated coke, which reduced the ohmic resistance, increased biomass density, and promoted electron transfer between bacteria and electrode surface. The activated coke anode also produced a higher Coulombic efficiency and chemical oxygen demand removal rate than the semicoke anode.

Priyadharshini Mani, Vallam Thodi Fidal Kumar, Taj Keshavarz et al.

Energies • 2018

Redox mediators could be used to improve the efficiency of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) by enhancing electron transfer rates and decreasing charge transfer resistance at electrodes. However, many artificial redox mediators are expensive and/or toxic. In this study, laccase enzyme was employed as a biocathode of MFCs in the presence of two natural redox mediators (syringaldehyde (Syr) and acetosyringone (As)), and for comparison, a commonly-used artificial mediator 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) was used to investigate their influence on azo dye decolorization and power production. The redox properties of the mediator-laccase systems were studied by cyclic voltammetry. The presence of ABTS and As increased power density from 54.7 ± 3.5 mW m−2 (control) to 77.2 ± 4.2 mW m−2 and 62.5 ± 3.7 mW m−2 respectively. The power decreased to 23.2 ± 2.1 mW m−2 for laccase with Syr. The cathodic decolorization of Acid orange 7 (AO7) by laccase indicated a 12–16% increase in decolorization efficiency with addition of mediators; and the Laccase-Acetosyringone system was the fastest, with 94% of original dye (100 mgL−1) decolorized within 24 h. Electrochemical analysis to determine the redox properties of the mediators revealed that syringaldehyde did not produce any redox peaks, inferring that it was oxidized by laccase to other products, making it unavailable as a mediator, while acetosyringone and ABTS revealed two redox couples demonstrating the redox mediator properties of these compounds. Thus, acetosyringone served as an efficient natural redox mediator for laccase, aiding in increasing the rate of dye decolorization and power production in MFCs. Taken together, the results suggest that natural laccase redox mediators could have the potential to improve dye decolorization and power density in microbial fuel cells.

, Nurul Shahzira Hazri, Sahriah Basri et al.

Jurnal Kejuruteraan • 2025

Magnesium-air fuel cell (MAFC) is a hybrid system that combines the design of a fuel cell and a battery, requiring a constant replacement of anode and electrolyte to operate. MAFC application is limited for short-term high-power applications like emergency and portable power supplies because of severe corrosion problems impairing the performance of MAFC. Hence, this study focuses on performance by investigating the effect of electrolyte volume, electrodes position, and electrolyte concentration on performance of Mg–air fuel cell. Three sets of experiments were conducted starting with variation in volume of electrolyte. Then, it is applied in the cell configuration to test the MAFC performance with different electrode position. Lastly, the best electrode position is applied to the new modified MAFC together with the chosen electrolyte to investigate the effect of electrolyte concentration on MAFC performance. Finding shows that electrolyte volume not really significant to the performance while higher NaCl concentration can increase the performance of MAFC significantly. 10 wt% of NaCl produce the highest power density of 38.95 mW.cm<sup>-2</sup> and operating voltage of 1.67 V. Unfortunately, higher corrosion rate was observed in higher NaCl concentration. Finally, adding sodium phosphate act as corrosion inhibitor manage to suppress the corrosion reaction and lowers the corrosion rate.

Mosammat Mustari Khanaum, Shafiqur Rahman, Md. Saidul Borhan et al.

Water SA • 2024

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a promising technology to generate bio-electricity and synchronously reduce wastewater pollutants. The presence of exoelectrogens in wastewater is critical for bio-electricity and pollutant reduction, but the performance of exoelectrogens at different pH levels remains unknown. This study aims to bridge this gap by offering an integrated approach to understanding the performance of exoelectrogens under varying substrate pH, particularly in bio-electricity generation and pollutant reduction in sugarbeet processing wastewater (SBWW). Three pH levels (ranging from acidic to alkaline) were studied and MFC's electricity output was measured. Later, current density, power density, and coulombic efficiency (CE) were calculated. Both pre- and post-experiment substrate samples were analysed with inductively coupled plasma (ICP). Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene analysis, DNA amplification, sequencing library preparation, and bioinformatics workflows on post-experiment samples of the substrate and anode samples were conducted. A diverse community of microorganisms was identified, especially Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Deltaproteobacteria (Geobacter). Bacteroidetes and Desulfovibrio were the major exoelectrogens responsible for electricity generation. Among the three pH levels tested, the most alkaline pH level (9.5±0.1) outperformed the others, achieving a 54% higher power density, 21% greater current density, and a 40% higher CE compared to the acidic pH level (6.5±0.1). Around 50–99% of pollutants were removed from the SBWW. The study revealed that Gammaproteobacteria thrive and perform better in alkaline environment.

Chul Kyu Jin, Jae Hyun Kim, Bong‐Seop Lee et al.

Fuel Cells • 2023

Abstract Stainless steel bipolar plates (BPs) fabricated using innovative additive manufacturing techniques can improve fuel cell performance and reduce costs. A high current density can be obtained using a low‐cost membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with low platinum (Pt) loading at the anode, along with BPs with rectangular micro channels. Three types of BPs of serpentine flow field are designed after varying the width of the rectangular channel. Two types of MEAs are used. First is 0.12 mg cm −2 Pt loading at anode, and the second is 0.50 mg cm −2 . Wherein MEA with Pt loading at 0.12 mg cm −2 is used, a high current density is obtained as the channel width decreases. The BP with 300 µm channels has a current density of 1.205 A cm −2 , which is higher by 31.4% than that of BP with 500 µm channels and higher by 70.2% than that of the BP with 940 µm channels. However, when the MEA with Pt loading at 0.50 mg cm −2 is applied to the test, the opposite results are obtained: As the channel width becomes narrow, the current density decreases. In the long‐term operation, a similar trend in the current density as that of the short‐term operation is observed.

Shih-Hang CHANG, Yuan-Ting TSAO, Kuan-Wei TUNG

Materials Science • 2021

In this study, we investigate the effect of heat treatment on the surface properties of carbon cloth electrodes and on the power generation efficiencies of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) configured with the heat-treated carbon cloth electrodes. Water contact angle measurements show that the hydrophobic surfaces of the carbon cloth became super-hydrophilic after heat treatment at a temperature above 500 °C, making it suitable for bacterial propagation. X-ray photoelectron spectrometry revealed that the signal of the C-O functional group of the carbon cloth electrodes increased in intensity after heat treatment. The MFCs configured with heat-treated carbon cloth electrode exhibited high power density of 16.58 mW/m2, whereas that of the untreated MFCs was only 8.86 mW m2. Compared with other chemical modifications, heat treatment does not use any environmentally unsound acidic or toxic solutions during modification and are promising for manufacturing large-scale MFC stacks.

Hussain & Ismail

IRAQI JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES • 2020

Three identically designed microbial fuel cell-constructed wetland (MFC-CW) systems were constructed and setup in this study for simultaneous biotreatment of petroleum refinery wastewater (PRW) and bioelectricity generation. MFC-CW1 and MFC-CW2 were planted with Canna indica, and Phragmites australis, respectively. MFC-CW3 was unplanted and considered as the control. These three systems were operated simultaneously in a batch mode for two cycles to evaluate the effect of PRW biotreatment on the growth and development of the selected plants and the potential of generated bioelectricity as well. The operation period for each cycle was 8 days. Results demonstrated that maximum removal efficiency of the organic content represented as chemical oxygen demand (COD) were 98.75%, 97.67%, and 97.83% observed in MFC-CW1, MFC-CW2, and MFC-CW3, respectively, whereby, the highest power generation were 19.86, 19.04, and 18.7 mW/m2, respectively. On the other hand, both types of plants exhibited notable growth and new sprouts appearance. The potential convergence of the results in the three MFC-CWs, and the healthy growth of both types of plants clearly and potentially indicated that the dominant mechanism of organic pollutant removal was via biodegradation process by the anodic biofilm in the MFC rather than being removed by phytoremediation process.

Livinus A. Obasi, Cornelius O. Nevo

Academia Green Energy • 2024

This study provides a comparative evaluation of the ability of response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the performance of microbial fuel cell (MFC) driven by greywater-syrup substrate system as anolyte with respect to power generation and wastewater treatment. Fourier transform infrared instrumental analysis of the substrate shows the functional groups of compounds present. A 24 central composite design and a three-layered (4:n:1) feedforward ANN architecture trained by a backpropagation algorithm were used to study and predict the MFC process performance criteria. The ANN gave the best prediction with n = 10 neurons. The response variables (power density generation (mW/m2) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency (%)) were measured against four process input variables: mass of the clay component of the proton exchange membrane (PEM) (g), PEM preparation temperature (PPT), anolyte pH, and concentration. Optimal responses with respect to power density and COD removal of 88.3 mW/m2 and 95.2% were recorded at the values of 70 g, 300°C, 8.5, and 66.9 v/v for mass of clay, PPT, pH, and anolyte concentration, respectively. The power density and COD removal predictive abilities of the ANN and RSM models were evaluated in terms of error functions: root mean square error (RMSE) (0.512; 0.0557), chi-square (0.0510; 0.1240), model predictive error (MPE) (0.3326; 0.3526), and coefficient of determination (R2) (0.9954; 0.9051) and RMSE (0.0272; 0.0707), chi-square (0.0280; 0.181), MPE (0.08242; 0.1569), and R2 (0.9932; 0.9245), respectively. These results indicate the superiority of the ANN in predicting the performance of the MFC over the RSM.

Arthur Kerviel, Apostolos Pesyridis, Ahmed Mohammed et al.

Applied Sciences • 2018

Mass-produced, off-the-shelf automotive air compressors cannot be directly used for boosting a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) application in the same way that they are used in internal combustion engines, since the requirements are different. These include a high pressure ratio, a low mass flow rate, a high efficiency requirement, and a compact size. From the established fuel cell types, the most promising for application in passenger cars or light commercial vehicle applications is the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), operating at around 80 °C. In this case, an electric-assisted turbocharger (E-turbocharger) and electric supercharger (single or two-stage) are more suitable than screw and scroll compressors. In order to determine which type of these boosting options is the most suitable for FCV application and assess their individual merits, a co-simulation of FCV powertrains between GT-SUITE and MATLAB/SIMULINK is realised to compare vehicle performance on the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) driving cycle. The results showed that the vehicle equipped with an E-turbocharger had higher performance than the vehicle equipped with a two-stage compressor in the aspects of electric system efficiency (+1.6%) and driving range (+3.7%); however, for the same maximal output power, the vehicle’s stack was 12.5% heavier and larger. Then, due to the existence of the turbine, the E-turbocharger led to higher performance than the single-stage compressor for the same stack size. The solid oxide fuel cell is also promising for transportation application, especially for a use as range extender. The results show that a 24-kWh electric vehicle can increase its driving range by 252% due to a 5 kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack and a gas turbine recovery system. The WLTP driving range depends on the charge cycle, but with a pure hydrogen tank of 6.2 kg, the vehicle can reach more than 600 km.

Nur Syafira Khoirunnisa, SYAIFUL ANWAR, DWI ANDREAS SANTOSA

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity • 2020

Abstract. Khoirunnisa NS, Anwar S, Santosa DA. 2020. Isolation and selection of cellulolytic bacteria from rice straw for consortium of microbial fuel cell. Biodiversitas 21: 1686-1696. Cellulose such as in rice straw can be utilized as an organic substrate in Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) to generate electricity by microorganisms as a biocatalyst. This research aimed to get cellulose-degrading bacteria with high capability to degrade rice straw and able to be used as consortium with exoelectrogen bacteria in Microbial Fuel Cell. The stages of research included: (i) isolation of the bacteria using carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) agar medium, (ii) selection of the isolates for that purpose, (iii) enzyme assay and MFC performance test, and (iv) identification of selected isolate. There were 125 isolates that were obtained. Selection based on the ability to degrade cellulose as indicated by clear zone on CMC medium resulted in 23 isolates. Ten isolates belong to anaerobic facultative bacteria were selected. Three of them were synergistic with exoelectrogen bacteria. The three isolates were tested for exoglucanase (Avicel) and total enzyme activity (Filter Paper) with the highest results were 6.21 U/mL (isolate J404) and 5.88 U/mL (isolate J401), respectively. The optimum MFC performance was achieved by one isolate, J401, which produced highest voltage of 40.8 mV and a power density of 0.33 mW/m2. The best isolate, J401, was identified as Xanthomonas translucens based on 16S rRNA method.

Yu J. Shen, Olivier Lefebvre, Zi Tan et al.

Water Science and Technology • 2012

Wastewater may contain various potential toxicants. A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a device in which bacteria convert the chemical energy into electricity. If a toxic event occurs, microbial activity is inhibited and thus the power output of the MFC decreases. Therefore, an MFC could serve as an early toxicity warning device. A real-time biomonitoring system was developed using MFCs to detect the inflow of toxic substances into wastewater treatment systems. After the MFCs reached steady state, a toxic incident was created by adding HCl into the wastewater to alter its pH. Consequently, a rapid decrease in voltage was observed immediately, followed by a subsequent recovery. The optimal MFC design was a single-chamber air cathode MFC, where the anode and cathode were separated by a Selemion proton exchange membrane. Under an external resistance of 5 Ω, the maximum power averaged 0.23 ± 0.023 mW with domestic wastewater. The optimized MFC showed high sensitivity and fast recovery when exposed to the acidic toxic event. When the hydraulic retention time was decreased from 22 to 3.5 min, sensitivity of the MFC increased substantially. Finally, the extent of inhibition observed was found to be related to the toxicity level, suggesting that a dosage–response relationship exists.

Shaik Bajithun, Baranitharan Ethiraj

ECS Transactions • 2022

The main aim of this study is to compare the power generation of Klebsiella variicola and anaerobic sludge operated double chamber MFC (DMFC) using municipal wastewater. Materials and methods: The wastewater samples collected from MFC with Klebsiella variicola (N=32) and anaerobic sludge (N=32) operated for 10 days (G power 80%). Voltage was measured using a multimeter and current, power, and power density was calculated from it for both groups. Results: The power generation was found to be high in Klebsiella variicola (1230mW/m 2 ) operated MFC compared to anaerobic sludge (120mW/m 2 ) due to its ability to form efficient biofilm on the anode surface compared to anaerobic sludge. The Independent sample T test was done which showed that the Klebsiella variicola operated MFC power generation (p<0.001), found to be significantly higher compared to anaerobic sludge. Conclusion: The study shows that Klebsiella variicola operated MFC is able to achieve higher power generation compared to anaerobic sludge.

Ian D. Deninger, Ashna K. Sran, Jason J. Keleher

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2022

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have emerged as a renewable energy source due to their ability for direct conversion of organic substrates into electrical energy. However, issues with low power density, limited long-term stability, and higher operational costs have slowed larger scale integration and adoption. One main factor impacting fuel cell performance is the bacterial interactions at the electrode interface and the associated electron transfer mechanisms which are being widely studied. To increase productive interactions between the microbes and anode, this work focused on the synthetic design of a conductive polysaccharide-based (i.e., agar, alginate, pectin) nanocomposite material. More specifically, metal-carboxyl (Fe 3+ or V 5+ )coordination chemistry was used to photoinitiate the polymerization of polyaniline (PANI) directly on the backbone of the biopolymer matrix increasing the overall uniformity. Results show that the n-doped conducting polymer nanocomposite has enhanced current flow when exposed to E. Coli. Additionally, the electrode surface was modified via non-covalent linkages of organic fuels, such as glucose, with TiO 2 nanoparticles to decrease bacteria-surface repulsions. Initial results show that the sugar functionalized electrodes demonstrated an increased electric response in conjunction with photochemical activity. This phenomenon was observed through decreased fluorescence intensity without a decrease in cell viability as well as increased open circuit potential in the presence of light. This ligand-metal charge transfer coupled with increased conductivity of a biomimetic bulk material has resulted in an overall improved MFC system.