Development of bulk and surface modified carbon electrodes for the enhancement of microbial fuel cell performance

Abstract

In microbial fuel cells, the electron transfer process is dependent on the conductivity and surface characteristics of the electrode materials and the compatibility of their redox potentials with the microbial metabolism. Carbon electrodes have shown promising performance as both anode and cathode in chemical fuel cells because of their good chemical stability, mechanical resistance and improved electrical conductivity. However, they suffer from poor biocompatibility and limited electrocatalytic activity in reactions across the biofilm-anode interface in the microbial fuel cells. Similarly, these electrodes demonstrate low oxygen reduction activity due to their high overpotentials at low temperature and neutral pH. Hence, modification of carbon materials is an effective way to improve their performance in MFCs because it alters the physical and chemical properties, facilitating better microbial attachment and electron transfer. This work studies the preparation, characterization and their effect of surface- and bulk-modified carbon electrodes on simultaneous power generation and dye degradation in Pseudomonas-catalyzed MFCs that use an azo dye as the anolyte. Firstly, the bulk-modified electrodes, namely Metal-doped Graphite Polyester Composite Electrodes (MS-GPECEs), were prepared through an impregnation procedure and characterized. newline