scholarly journals Improved performance of microbial fuel cells through addition of trehalose lipids

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Cheng ◽  
Rui Shan ◽  
Hao-Ran Yuan ◽  
Ge Dong ◽  
Li-fang Deng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Transfer ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Internal Resistance ◽  
List Type ◽  
Trehalose Lipid ◽  
Novel Method ◽  
Improved Performance

AbstractElectron transfer from microorganisms to the electrode is the key process in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this study, a trehalose lipid was added to a Rhodococcus pyridinivorans-inoculated MFC to improve the power output by enhancing electron transfer. Upon trehalose lipid addition, the current density and maximum power density were increased by 1.83 times and 5.93 times, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry analysis revealed that the addition of trehalose lipid increased the electron transfer performance, while electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results proved a decrease in internal resistance. Microscopy images showed that the trehalose lipid-treated bacteria interacted more closely with various fagellum-like contacts, while in the pure trehalose lipid (200 mg/L), pores were obviously observed in the cell surface.ImportanceImproving the power output of microbial fuel cells by the addition of bio-surfactants have been proved to be a novel method. However, only rhamnolipid and sophorolipid are certified to be effective. Trehalose lipid is a common material in cosmetic and bio-medicine industry. Our research broaden the application of bio-surfactant in MFC and preliminarily explain the mechanism.HighlightsTrehalose lipid enhanced MFC power generationTrehalose lipid decrease MFC internal resistancePores were observed with the addition of trehalose lipidAddition of bio-surfactant is a promising way to increase MFC performance

Preformance of an Electrobiochemical Slurry Reactor for the Treatment of a Soil Contaminated with Lindane

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beni Camacho-Pérez ◽  
Elvira Ríos-Leal ◽  
Omar Solorza-Feria ◽  
Pedro Alberto Vazquez-Landa ◽  
Josefina Barrera-Cortés ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Coulombic Efficiency ◽  
Membrane Resistance ◽  
Internal Resistance ◽  
Slurry Reactor ◽  
Batch Operation ◽  
Organic Matter Removal

Lindane is a chlorinated pesticide known for its toxicity and persistence in the environment. Recently, it has been proposed that soil microbial fuel cell technology (SMFC) could be applied to enhance the removal of organic matter, phenol, and petroleum hydrocarbon in contaminated soil with simultaneous electricity output. Yet, there is no information on the application to remediation of soils polluted with pesticides. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the biodegradation of lindane with simultaneous electricity generation in an electrobiochemical slurry reactor (EBCR). The EBCR was inoculated with a sulfate reducing inoculum acclimated to lindane, it was further characterized, and batch operated for 30 day at room temperature. No external carbon source was supplemented in the experiment 1; the substrate was the soluble natural organic matter (NOM) of the soil. In the experiment 2 the EBCR was supplemented with a stock solution of sucrose: sodium acetate: lactate to give a final concentration of 2g COD/L in the reactor. Results from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy characterization in the EBCR (Experiment 1) showed that the equivalent circuit had a high anodic resistance R1=2064 Ω, cathodic resistance R3 = 192 Ω; and electrolyte/membrane resistance R2 = 7?, totaling a relatively high overall internal resistance Rint of 2263 Ω. During the batch operation, the EBCR showed a 30% lindane removal efficiency along with a maximum volumetric power of 165 mW m-3.This value compared favorably with results corresponding to sediments microbial fuel cells that are used to power weather monitoring systems. The organic matter removal was very high (72% as soluble COD, NOM) whereas the coulombic efficiency was low (5.4%). The latter, although, was higher than values reported for microbial fuel cells that degraded leachate-like effluents. In Experiment 2 of the EBCR both cell characteristics and performance significantly improved. The internal resistance as determined by polarization curve was 102 Ω when the two-electrode sets were connected in parallel. During the batch operation, the EBCR showed a 78% lindane removal and a maximum power volumetric of 634 mW m-3, the organic matter removal was 76% and coulombic efficiency was 15%. Finally, it can be concluded that our EBCR showed a high lindane removal capability and mixing of the slurry phase was associated to improvement of bioremediation and electricity performances of the device.

scholarly journals Strain- and Substrate-Dependent Redox Mediator and Electricity Production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (16) ◽  
pp. 5026-5038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erick M. Bosire ◽  
Lars M. Blank ◽  
Miriam A. Rosenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Electron Transfer ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Pure Culture ◽  
Bioelectrochemical Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediated Electron Transfer ◽  
Phenazine Production ◽  
Model Strain

ABSTRACTPseudomonas aeruginosais an important, thriving member of microbial communities of microbial bioelectrochemical systems (BES) through the production of versatile phenazine redox mediators. Pure culture experiments with a model strain revealed synergistic interactions ofP. aeruginosawith fermenting microorganisms whereby the synergism was mediated through the shared fermentation product 2,3-butanediol. Our work here shows that the behavior and efficiency ofP. aeruginosain mediated current production is strongly dependent on the strain ofP. aeruginosa. We compared levels of phenazine production by the previously investigated model strainP. aeruginosaPA14, the alternative model strainP. aeruginosaPAO1, and the BES isolatePseudomonassp. strain KRP1 with glucose and the fermentation products 2,3-butanediol and ethanol as carbon substrates. We found significant differences in substrate-dependent phenazine production and resulting anodic current generation for the three strains, with the BES isolate KRP1 being overall the best current producer and showing the highest electrochemical activity with glucose as a substrate (19 μA cm−2with ∼150 μg ml−1phenazine carboxylic acid as a redox mediator). Surprisingly,P. aeruginosaPAO1 showed very low phenazine production and electrochemical activity under all tested conditions.IMPORTANCEMicrobial fuel cells and other microbial bioelectrochemical systems hold great promise for environmental technologies such as wastewater treatment and bioremediation. While there is much emphasis on the development of materials and devices to realize such systems, the investigation and a deeper understanding of the underlying microbiology and ecology are lagging behind. Physiological investigations focus on microorganisms exhibiting direct electron transfer in pure culture systems. Meanwhile, mediated electron transfer with natural redox compounds produced by, for example,Pseudomonas aeruginosamight enable an entire microbial community to access a solid electrode as an alternative electron acceptor. To better understand the ecological relationships between mediator producers and mediator utilizers, we here present a comparison of the phenazine-dependent electroactivities of threePseudomonasstrains. This work forms the foundation for more complex coculture investigations of mediated electron transfer in microbial fuel cells.

scholarly journals Lack of Electricity Production by Pelobacter carbinolicus Indicates that the Capacity for Fe(III) Oxide Reduction Does Not Necessarily Confer Electron Transfer Ability to Fuel Cell Anodes

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (16) ◽  
pp. 5347-5353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanno Richter ◽  
Martin Lanthier ◽  
Kelly P. Nevin ◽  
Derek R. Lovley
Keyword(s):  
Electron Transfer ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Electron Donors ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Anode Surface ◽  
Oxide Reduction ◽  
Fuel Cell Anodes

ABSTRACT The ability of Pelobacter carbinolicus to oxidize electron donors with electron transfer to the anodes of microbial fuel cells was evaluated because microorganisms closely related to Pelobacter species are generally abundant on the anodes of microbial fuel cells harvesting electricity from aquatic sediments. P. carbinolicus could not produce current in a microbial fuel cell with electron donors which support Fe(III) oxide reduction by this organism. Current was produced using a coculture of P. carbinolicus and Geobacter sulfurreducens with ethanol as the fuel. Ethanol consumption was associated with the transitory accumulation of acetate and hydrogen. G. sulfurreducens alone could not metabolize ethanol, suggesting that P. carbinolicus grew in the fuel cell by converting ethanol to hydrogen and acetate, which G. sulfurreducens oxidized with electron transfer to the anode. Up to 83% of the electrons available in ethanol were recovered as electricity and in the metabolic intermediate acetate. Hydrogen consumption by G. sulfurreducens was important for ethanol metabolism by P. carbinolicus. Confocal microscopy and analysis of 16S rRNA genes revealed that half of the cells growing on the anode surface were P. carbinolicus, but there was a nearly equal number of planktonic cells of P. carbinolicus. In contrast, G. sulfurreducens was primarily attached to the anode. P. carbinolicus represents the first Fe(III) oxide-reducing microorganism found to be unable to produce current in a microbial fuel cell, providing the first suggestion that the mechanisms for extracellular electron transfer to Fe(III) oxides and fuel cell anodes may be different.

scholarly journals A state of the art review on electron transfer mechanisms, characteristics, applications and recent advancements in microbial fuel cells technology

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-381
Author(s):  
Ali Nawaz ◽  
Atiatul Hafeez ◽  
Syed Zaghum Abbas ◽  
Ikram ul Haq ◽  
Hamid Mukhtar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Transfer ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Transfer Mechanisms

Effect of Anode Surface Roughness on Power Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhou Ye ◽  
Junbo Hou ◽  
Michael W. Ellis ◽  
Bahareh Behkam
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Glassy Carbon ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Charge Transfer Resistance ◽  
Electrode System ◽  
Anode Surface ◽  
Transfer Resistance ◽  
Rough Electrode

A three-electrode system was used to study the effect of anode surface roughness on the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Two glassy carbon plates were polished to uniform roughness of the orders of magnitude of 10s of nm and 100s of nm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to quantify the roughness as well as the 3D topography of the surfaces. Multiple electrochemical methods including potentiostatic tests, potentiodynamic tests, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were utilized to monitor the performance of the glassy carbon electrodes. After 275 hours of experimentation, the current density generated by the rough electrode was much higher than that generated by the smooth one. Furthermore, the charge-transfer resistance of the rough electrode was lower than that of the smooth one. The better electrochemical performance of the rough surface may be due to denser biofilm grown on the surface, which was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

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