Sani Suleiman, Mustapha Lawal, Harisu Mikailu et al.

FUDMA JOURNAL OF SCIENCES • 2024

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent renewable energy technology with potential applications in electricity generation. This study aimed to construct and evaluate the performance of a single-chamber MFC using soil samples. Two MFCs were built for this purpose: one to assess performance by monitoring the variation of voltage and current over time, and the other to examine the effect of cathode surface area on MFC performance. Microbial fuel cells are important due to their potential to generate renewable energy, treat wastewater, remediate contaminated environments, serve as biosensors, and be scalable and integrated with other technologies, making them a promising solution for addressing various environmental and energy challenges. Notable results included recording maximum currents and voltages of 2.2 mA and 0.6 V, respectively, which elucidated the non-linear relationship between current and voltage. Additionally, it was found that the cathode surface area has a direct impact on the current produced. The polarization curve, illustrating current density as a function of voltage, was also analyzed. Another significant finding was a coulombic efficiency of 92.6%. Furthermore, connecting the MFCs in series achieved a voltage of 1.363 V. These results indicate substantial progress in the field. This study contributed to the advancement of MFC technology and its potential for practical applications in renewable energy generation, wastewater treatment, and environmental sustainability.

Aina Mardhiyah Jalilluddin, Tay Chia-Chay, Suhaimi Abdul-Talib

Applied Mechanics and Materials • 2015

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) represents a new method for producing electricity from the oxidation of organic matter. In addition, MFC offers an effective wastewater treatment. The feasibility of using POME wastewater as a substrate was investigated through a two-chambered MFC operated in batch mode for 12 days. The performance of MFC was evaluated under three different anode pH microenvironments of acidic (pH 4), neutral (pH 7) and alkaline (pH 8). Results of experiments indicated that the MFC reactor was able to generate electricity and treat POME wastewater that acted as substrate for MFC. The performance of MFC was found to be dependent on the anode pH microenvironments. Higher power density was observed at neutral condition compared to acidic and alkaline conditions. Furthermore, significant reductions in chemical oxygen demand (COD) in anode chambers were found due to the changes of pH in anode microenvironment. This indicated that effective wastewater treatment of POME in MFC batch experiments. In conclusion, MFC provides an alternative, sustainability and effective method to generate electricity and effectively treat wastewater.

Dan-Dan Zhai, Bing Li, Jian-Zhong Sun et al.

Water Science and Technology • 2016

Improvement of power production in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) with a high cell density culture strategy was developed. By using high cell density culture, the voltage output and power density output of the MFC were enhanced about 0.6 and 1.6 times compared to the control, respectively. Further analysis showed that riboflavin concentration in the MFC was dramatically increased from 0.1 mg/L to 1.2 mg/L by high cell density culture. Moreover, the biofilm formation on the anode surface was significantly enhanced by this new strategy. The increased accumulation of electron shuttle (riboflavin) as well as enhanced biofilm formation contributed to the improvement in anodic electrochemical activity and these factors were the underlying mechanism for MFC performance improvement by high cell density culture. This work demonstrated that high cell density culture would be a simple and practical strategy for MFC manipulation.

Luo Yong, Heng Yun Wu, Juan Juan Jia et al.

Applied Mechanics and Materials • 2014

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of salinity on power generation and microbial community structure in the microbial fuel cell (MFC). Three two-chamber MFCs (MFC-A, MFC-B, MFC-C) were used to conduct experiments. The MFC-A was operated sequentially using solutions of 0, 20, 40, 60, and 70 g/L NaCl in the anode chamber of the cell. The MFC-B was operated with solutions of 0 and 40 g/L NaCl and the MFC-C with solutions of 0 and 70 g/L NaCl. Results showed that the salinity inhibited power generation in all the MFCs. In the MFC-A, the maximum voltage outputs and CE s decreased from 660 to 130 mV and from 67% to 4%, respectively, with the NaCl concentrations from 0 to 70 g/L. However, the NaCl concentrations did not affect the removal efficiency of substrate (glucose) in the MFC, which reached 100% at the end of every cycle. Moreover, voltages could be recovered to the maximum value (630 mV) within 60 h after replacing the salt solutions with water. With the solutions of 40 and 70 g/L NaCl in the MFC-B and MFC-C, respectively, no obvious electricity was generated after two cycle operations.

Bustami Ibrahim, Pipih Suptijah, Zhalindri Noor Adjani

Jurnal Pengolahan Hasil Perikanan Indonesia • 2017

Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is one of the alternative technologies which can convert chemical energy to electrical energy through a catalytic reaction using microorganisms. The technology can be implemented for wastewater handling such as fish processing wastewater which contains highly in organic substances. The research objective was to measure the performance of MFC system using fishery processing wastewater in order to generate bioelectricity and to reduce its organic pollution load within a different material of the electrode. The electrode materials used were aluminum, iron, carbon graphite, and also the combination of aluminum and carbon graphite. The research carried out in three phases: production of fishery wastewater, assembly of MFC single chamber system and measurement of the bioelectricity produced. The bioelectricity power resulted during 120 hours of observation were 0.23V for aluminum, 0.17V for iron, 0.19V for carbon graphite, and 0.34V for the combination between aluminum and carbon graphite averagely. The MFC system can also decrease the organic load parameter of wastewater as much as total Nitrogen was 61%, BOD 30.11%, COD 59.34%, and total Nitrogen Ammonia 12.45%. The increasing of activated sludge biomass occurred on the last observation with MLSS and MLVSS values respectively 7,066.67 mg/L and 6,100 mg/L.

Arwa Fraiwan, Daniel J. Hassett, Seokheun Choi

Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy • 2014

Due to an increased concern about the global energy crisis and environmental pollution, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been a major focus for renewable energy production. To date, however, a surprisingly small number of bacterial strains and their optimal growth conditions have been investigated for use in MFCs, revealing a crucial lack of fundamental knowledge as to which bacteria species or consortia may be best suited for generating power in MFCs. This lack of knowledge is due to the fact that current screening methods are depending on larger scale two-bottle MFCs that require long start-up times, as well as the inability of conventional MFC arrays to generate electricity in a reliable, robust, and reproducible manner. In particular, the influence of light on the bacterial growth conditions and their power generation has not been fully reported because conventional MFC's opaque device/anode configuration leads to inefficient light penetration. This paper presents a miniaturized high-throughput parallel analyses platform not only for the screening/characterization of the electrochemical activities of electrogenic bacteria but also for investigation of the effect of light on bioelectricity generated from eight different microbial consortia in anode or cathode compartment; wild-type Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, wild-type Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, and isogenic nirS, lasl, bdlA, and rpoS mutants, respectively. The array consists of nine MFC units with (i) transparent thin gold anode on PMMA layers for efficient light penetration and (ii) independent microfluidic accesses allowing for long term analysis ability without contamination from chamber to chamber during operation. Each MFC unit contains vertically stacked 57 μl anode/cathode chambers separated by a proton exchange membrane. S. oneidensis displayed the highest current generation among all the consortia, 4-fold higher than that of wild-type P. aeruginosa PAO1. However, all the other mutants produced significantly low current outputs. Current production by Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 demonstrated a positive response upon illumination and a subsequent decrease of output in the dark while other MFC units showed negligible light responses.

Paniz Izadi, Mostafa Rahimnejad, Ali Ghoreyshi

Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry • 2015

Abstract Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a novel technology that is able to convert the chemical energy of organic and inorganic substrates to electrical energy directly. The use of fossil fuels and recent energy crisis bring increasing attention to this technology. Besides electricity generation, wastewater treatment is another application of MFCs. Sulfide is a hazardous ion that is common in wastes. In this article, dual‐chamber MFC was fabricated and a mixed culture of microorganisms was used as an active biocatalyst in an anaerobic anodic chamber to convert substrate to electricity. The obtained experimental results indicate that this MFC can successfully alter sulfide to elementary sulfur and power generation. The initial concentration of sulfide in wastewater was 1.5 g L −1 , and it was removed after 10 days of MFC operation. Maximum produced power and current density were 48.68 mW⋅m −2 and 231.47 mA⋅m −2 , respectively. Besides, the influences of a biocathode were investigated and accordingly the data obtained for power and current density were increased to 372.27 mW⋅m −2 and 1,665.15 mA⋅m −2 , respectively.

Majid Taghavi, John Greenman, Lucia Beccai et al.

ChemElectroChem • 2014

Abstract The current study addresses the development of a flexible microbial fuel cell (MFC) in a tubular configuration. Nafion tubing is employed as a one‐compartment MFC and is used as the membrane and the main body of the system. We use an ultra‐flexible carbon sleeve as electrode material for both the anode and cathode; the anode is placed inside the tubular membrane, and the cathode is wrapped on the outside of the membrane. We illustrate how, using both the membrane and the new electrodes, there is increase the power density of the system, which is shown to work successfully with human urine as the fuel. We also show how the covering of the outer surface, that is, the cathode, by means of a waterproof and breathable plaster strip, maintains the high output levels without the need for hydration.

Sunghyun Kim, Jalal Ahmed, Yongwon Jeon et al.

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2015

The low power density of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) compared to other fuel cells has been a problem for this technology to be implanted in the real world despite the fact that it has many merits as an alternative energy source such as environmental sustainability and carbon neutrality. The main reason lies in the slow electron transfer (ET) kinetics at the anode and the cathode. Electrons produced from the oxidation of organic matters by the bacterial biofilm on the anode are transferred to the cathode where oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) takes place. Thus fast ET at both electrodes is very important to increase current density that leads to enhanced power density. Here we show how polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (Ppy) can be utilized as electrode modifiers to greatly improve MFC performance. First, we have used PANI and Ppy to modify anodes. When Ppy was applied to the anode in a mediator-type MFC using Proteus vulgaris as a biocatalyst, a large enhancement in power density was observed. A dramatic power enhancement was resulted from the electrodeposited Ppy onto the reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) electrode. Our obtained maximum power density of 1.2 mW cm −3 is the highest value among the reported ones for the similar system. From impedance measurements, enhancement was attributed to the decrease in charge transfer resistance. More practical MFCs are single chamber and mediatorless type MFCs with a biofilm formed from activated sludge. We prepared polyaniline/carbon black (PANI/C) composite and applied it to carbon cloth anode. It shortened start-up period and significantly enhanced power density from 764 mW m -2 to 1277 mW m -2 . Enhances performance was also attributed to fast electron transfer to the anode through PANI. The anode surface was characterized by employing various surface characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The power output depended upon the amount of PANI/C, showing a highest value at 0.2 mg cm -2 . Coulombic efficiency was more than 30% at 4.3 A m -2 . Second, PANI was also utilized as an ORR catalyst for an MFC cathode. We used polyaniline nanofibers (PANInf) synthesized by interfacial polymerization and prepared PANInf/Carbon black composite for the cathode. Higher electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction compared to pristine PANInf was resulted, thus leading to a large power density enhancement 185 mW m −2 for the pristine PANInf to 496 mW m −2 for the composite material. Although the power density was still lower than when conventional Pt catalyst was used (604.3 mW m −2 ), a facile bulk synthesis and cheaper price would make PANInf/C an alternative to Pt when a large scale application comes to an issue. PANI was also used as a support to incorporate compounds that have high catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction. Iron phthalocyanine (FePc) has been known as effective oxygen reduction catalyst. FePc was incorporated into Polyaniline/carbon black (PANI/C) composite. Thus prepared (PANI/C/FePc) was used as a catalyst for the ORR in an air–cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC). The electrocatalytic activity of the PANI/C/FePc toward the ORR was compared with carbon-supported FePc. The ORR overpotential was decreased and current density was greatly increased, indicating that polyaniline plays a key role in ORR reactions. This PANI/FePc/C composite was also well adopted as a cathode material in MFCs. The maximum power density of 630.5 mW m −2 with the PANI/C/FePc cathode was higher than that of 336.6 mW m −2 with the C/FePc cathode because of enhanced ORR activity. We compared monetary aspect per power for these materials. It turned out that the power per cost of the PANI/C/FePc cathode is 7.5 times greater than that of the Pt cathode. Thus, the PANI/C/FePc can be a potential alternative to Pt in MFCs. We found PANInf could be a useful material for modifying the interior of the three-dimensional anode. Reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) is an ideal material in that it has many interconnected pores inside so that substrate can freely flow through the pores. The PANInf layer was easily formed on the interior surface of the RVC on which a stable and robust bacterial biofilm was formed, giving higher power density. In conclusion, conducting polymers have been proven very promising materials for the MFC power enhancement. Electron transfer barrier at the anode and cathode can be lowered when conducting polymers are used. Modification of these polymers with foreign species can further increase power density.

Jayesh Sonawane, Jesse Greener

ChemRxiv • 2023

A microbial fuel cell with a pure-culture Geobacter sulfurreducens electroactive biofilm was used for performance optimization by making rapid changes to experimental parameters in microchannels while monitoring their effect using linear sweep voltammetry. A systematic investigation of polarization behavior and evaluation of system resistivity provided important figures of merit and mechanistic insights on the effects of flow rates, concentrations, and temperature after reaching maturity. After individual parameters were optimized, a synergistic effect was observed by applying optimal parameters together, resulting in improved current and maximum power densities, compared to stable values at unoptimized conditions. Continued acclimation for just two days under these conditions resulted in further improvements to anode area-normalized current and power maxima (10.49±0.23 A m-2 and 2.48±0.27 W m-2), which are among the highest reported in the literature for a microfluidic MFC. In keeping with other accepted normalization protocol using the area separating anode and cathode chambers, the outputs were recalculated as 64 A m-2 and 15 W m-2.

Hen Friman, Alex Schechter, Yulia Ioffe et al.

Microbial Biotechnology • 2013

Summary A microbial fuel cell ( MFC ) was operated with a pure culture of C upriavidus basilensis bacterial cells growing in the anode compartment in a defined medium containing acetate or phenol. Operating this mediator‐less MFC under a constant external resistor of 1 kΩ with acetate or phenol led to current generation of 902 and 310 mA m −2 respectively. In the MFC which was operated using acetate or phenol, the current density measured from the plankton bacterial cells with a fresh electrode was 125 and 109 mA m −2 , respectively, whereas the current obtained with biofilm‐covered electrodes in sterile medium was 541 and 228 mA m −2 respectively. After 72 h in the MFC , 86% of the initial phenol concentration was removed, while only 64% was removed after the same time in the control MFC which was held at an open circuit potential ( OCP ). Furthermore, SEM and confocal microscopy analyses demonstrated a developed biofilm with a live C . basilensis population. In conclusion, in this study we demonstrated, for the first time, use of C . basilensis facultative aerobe bacterial cells in a MFC using acetate or phenol as the sole carbon source which led to electricity generation.

Daniel Fleury

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) • 2017

Abstract This project trial provides a novel small-scale solar harnessing technology which increases environmental effectiveness while maintaining optimal energy efficiency. Although modern solar panels are purposed in producing clean energy, the materials and byproducts of solar cell manufacturing are not eco-friendly. Thus, considering an organic, renewable and energy efficient solar cell model is necessary. Investigations explored multiple highly-photosynthetic algal species which were later integrated into a controlled microbial fuel cell system (MFC). The MFC1 contained algae culture species, including Chlorella Vulgaris, Nannochloropsis, and Spirulina. Parameters, such as periodic lipid yields, algal biomass, and light absorption were assessed throughout the cultivation process while maintaining a controlled environment. After 30 days of cultivation, the culture was transferred to an anode chamber in a closed loop small-scale MFC. Following the first day of algae transfer, microwatt output was analyzed from independent test trials. Statistical comparisons were drawn between electrical energy and light absorption, finding a generally positive correlation. Thus, it is concluded that mid-high algae concentrations significantly increased electrical micro-wattage in highly absorptive algal cultures. The optimal electric levels occurred at 286 A (absorbance) and 35 mW-Nannochloropsis, 123 A-Chlorella (30.2 mW), and 142 A (31 mW)-Spirulina culture. Due to higher absorption rates in the Nannochloropsis culture, this corresponds with the record high voltage levels. The analysis of data indicates that Algae-based MFCs are proven hopeful for alternative high-yield energy production.

M. Rahimnejad, G.D. Najafpour, A.A. Ghoreyshi et al.

Linnaeus Eco-Tech • 2017

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were successfully used as a biological process to remove organic load from synthetic wastewater. Electricity was produced via oxidation of biodegradable organic matter in the presence of active biocatalyst. The system was able to generate clean energy at high efficiency. Wastewater contained organic compound used as substrate in the anaerobic chamber of MFC. The chemical energy generated sufficient electrons which were passed through a resistance to identify current density and liberate electric power as energy source. Acetone as biodegradable substrate with concentration of 3g.l-1 was introduced as carbon source in the anode chamber of the MFC. The mixed culture of living microorganisms originated from a biological treatment unit used for anaerobic degradation of organic substrate. The inoculums were supplied by an up flow anaerobic hybrid reactor, a pilot scale bioreactor used for treating pulp and paper wastewater. In this course of treatment, once chemical oxygen demand was removed the current and power was generated while data were recorded via online acquisition system. Also polarization curve was obtained for each set of experiment. In cathode compartment several concentration of ferocynide and potassium permanganate were added to obtain the optimal concentration of oxidizing agents in the cathode chamber. At concentration of 300 μM potassium permanganate, the maximum power and current generated were 22 mW.m-2 and 70 mA.m-2, respectively.

Fatemeh Mahmoodzadeh, Nahid Navidjouy, Saber Alizadeh et al.

Scientific Reports • 2023

Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a self-sustaining and environmentally friendly system for the simultaneous was tewater treatment and bioelectricity generation. The type and material of the electrode are critical factors that can influence the efficiency of this treatment process. In this study, graphite plates and carbon felt were modified through the electrodeposition of nickel followed by the formation of a biofilm, resulting in conductive bio-anode thin film electrodes with enhanced power generation capacity. The structural and morphological properties of the electrode surfaces were characterized using X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, elemental mapping, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy techniques. Maximum voltage, current density, and power generation were investigated using a dual-chamber MFC equipped with a Nafion 117 membrane and bio-nickel-doped carbon felt (bio-Ni@CF) and bio-nickel-doped graphite plate (bio-Ni@GP) electrodes under constant temperature conditions. The polarization and power curves obtained using different anode electrodes revealed that the maximum voltage, power and current density achieved with the bio-Ni@CF electrode were 468.0 mV, 130.72 mW/m 2 and 760.0 mA/m 2 respectively. Moreover, the modified electrodes demonstrated appropriate stability and resistance during successful runs. These results suggest that nickel-doped carbon-based electrodes can serve as suitable and stable supported catalysts and conductors for improving efficiency and increasing power generation in MFCs.

Mohammed Adel Al-badani, Peng Lean Chong, Heng Siong Lim

International Journal of Renewable Energy Development • 2023

Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a promising technology for harnessing energy from organic compounds. However, the low power generation of MFCs remains a significant challenge that hinders their commercial viability. In this study, we reported three distinct modifications to the stainless-steel mesh (SSM), carbon cloth, and carbon felt electrodes using carbon powder (CP), a mixture of CP and ferrum, and a blend of CP with sodium citrate and ethanol. The MFC equipped with an SSM and CP anode showed a notable power density of 1046.89 mW.m-2. In comparison, the bare SSM anode achieved a maximum power density of 145.8 mW m-2. Remarkably, the 3D-modified SSM with a CP anode (3D-SSM-CP) MFC exhibited a substantial breakthrough, attaining a maximum power density of 1417.07 mW m-2. This achievement signifies a significant advancement over the performance of the unaltered SSM anode, underscoring the effectiveness of our modification approach. Subsequently, the 3D-SSM-CP electrode was integrated into single-chamber MFCs, which were used to power a LoRaWAN IoT device through a power management system. The modification methods improved the MFC performance while involving low-cost and easy fabricating techniques. The results of this study are expected to contribute to improving MFC's performance, bringing them closer to becoming a practical source of renewable energy.

Chin-Tsan Wang, Yao-Cheng Lee, Fan-Ying Liao

Sustainability • 2015

Nowadays, solid organic waste is of major environmental concern and is reaching critical levels worldwide. Currently, a form of natural decomposition, known as composting technology, is widely used to deal with organic waste. This method is applied to enhance the performance of solid microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) in this study. Operational composting parameters (carbon/nitrogen ratio, moisture content and pH value) are investigated to explore the optimal power performance of solid microbial fuel cells (SMFCs). Results indicate that the carbon/nitrogen ratio and the moisture content displayed the most significant impact on SMFCs. When the carbon/nitrogen ratio is 31.4 and moisture content is 60%, along with a pH value of 6–8, a better SMFC power performance would be obtained. These findings would provide positive information regarding the application of compost in SMFCs.

Unknown Author

Machine Learning and Knowledge Extraction • 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]

Unknown Author

Machine Learning and Knowledge Extraction • 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]

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Materials • 2019

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IET Conference Proceedings • 2025

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