Analysis of microbial fuel cell operation in acidic conditions using the flocculating agent ferric chloride (2016)
Journal Article
Winfield, J., Greenman, J., Dennis, J., & Ieropoulos, I. (2016). Analysis of microbial fuel cell operation in acidic conditions using the flocculating agent ferric chloride. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 91(1), 138-143. https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.4552

© 2014 Society of Chemical Industry. BACKGROUND: Ferric chloride (FeCl3) is widely used as a flocculating agent during wastewater treatment but can detrimentally lower pH and increase iron concentration. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising te... Read More about Analysis of microbial fuel cell operation in acidic conditions using the flocculating agent ferric chloride.

Comparing terracotta and earthenware for multiple functionalities in microbial fuel cells (2013)
Journal Article
Winfield, J., Greenman, J., Huson, D., & Ieropoulos, I. (2013). Comparing terracotta and earthenware for multiple functionalities in microbial fuel cells. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 36(12), 1913-1921. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-013-0967-6

The properties of earthenware and terracotta were investigated in terms of structural integrity and ion conductivity, in two microbial fuel cell (MFC) designs. Parameters such as wall thickness (4, 8, 18 mm), porosity and cathode hydration were analy... Read More about Comparing terracotta and earthenware for multiple functionalities in microbial fuel cells.

Biodegradation and proton exchange using natural rubber in microbial fuel cells (2013)
Journal Article
Winfield, J., Ieropoulos, I., Rossiter, J., Greenman, J., & Patton, D. (2013). Biodegradation and proton exchange using natural rubber in microbial fuel cells. Biodegradation, 24(6), 733-739. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-013-9621-x

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) generate electricity from waste but to date the technology's development and scale-up has been held-up by the need to incorporate expensive materials. A costly but vital component is the ion exchange membrane (IEM) which c... Read More about Biodegradation and proton exchange using natural rubber in microbial fuel cells.

Waste to real energy: The first MFC powered mobile phone (2013)
Journal Article
Ieropoulos, I. A., Ieropoulos, I., Ledezma, P., Stinchcombe, A., Papaharalabos, G., Melhuish, C., & Greenman, J. (2013). Waste to real energy: The first MFC powered mobile phone. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 15(37), 15312-15316. https://doi.org/10.1039/c3cp52889h

This communication reports for the first time the charging of a commercially available mobile phone, using Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) fed with real neat urine. The membrane-less MFCs were made out of ceramic material and employed plain carbon based... Read More about Waste to real energy: The first MFC powered mobile phone.

Energy production and sanitation improvement using microbial fuel cells (2013)
Journal Article
Knoop, O., Lewis, D., Greenman, J., Ieropoulos, I., Ieropoulos, I., Greenman, J., …Knoop, O. (2013). Energy production and sanitation improvement using microbial fuel cells. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 3(3), 383-391. https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2013.117

This study builds on the previous work of urine utilisation and uses small-scale microbial fuel cells (MFCs), working both as individual units in cascade or collectively as a stack, to utilise artificial urine. Artificial urine was prepared at concen... Read More about Energy production and sanitation improvement using microbial fuel cells.

Urine: Waste or resource? The economic and social aspects (2013)
Journal Article
Ieropoulos, I., Gajda, I., You, J., & Greenman, J. (2013). Urine: Waste or resource? The economic and social aspects. https://doi.org/10.1166/rase.2013.1033

Increased power output from micro porous layer (MPL) cathode microbial fuel cells (MFC) (2013)
Journal Article
Ieropoulos, I., Greenman, J., Melhuish, C., Papaharalabos, G., Greenman, J., Melhuish, C., …Ieropoulos, I. (2013). Increased power output from micro porous layer (MPL) cathode microbial fuel cells (MFC). International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 38(26), 11552-11558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.05.138

Microbial fuel cells are bio-electrochemical transducers that utilise microorganisms to generate electricity, through the oxidation of organic matter. They consist of a negative anode and a positive cathode, separated by an ion selective membrane. Th... Read More about Increased power output from micro porous layer (MPL) cathode microbial fuel cells (MFC).

Photosynthetic cathodes for microbial fuel cells (2013)
Journal Article
Gajda, I., Greenman, J., Melhuish, C., & Ieropoulos, I. (2013). Photosynthetic cathodes for microbial fuel cells. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 38(26), 11559-11564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.02.111

One of the major limiting factors in the practical implementation of Microbial Fuel Cells is finding efficient and sustainable catalysts for the cathode half reaction, in an attempt to avoid expensive and/or toxic catalysts. The use of phototrophic o... Read More about Photosynthetic cathodes for microbial fuel cells.

Power generation and contaminant removal in single chamber microbial fuel cells (SCMFCs) treating human urine (2013)
Journal Article
Greenman, J., Ieropoulos, I., Santoro, C., Ieropoulos, I., Greenman, J., Cristiani, P., …Li, B. (2013). Power generation and contaminant removal in single chamber microbial fuel cells (SCMFCs) treating human urine. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 38(26), 11543-11551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.02.070

The potential of single chamber microbial fuel cells (SCMFC) to treat raw, fresh human urine was investigated. The power generation (55 μW) of the SCMFCs with platinum (Pt)-based cathode was higher than those with Pt-free cathodes (23 μW) at the begi... Read More about Power generation and contaminant removal in single chamber microbial fuel cells (SCMFCs) treating human urine.

Current generation in membraneless single chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) treating urine (2013)
Journal Article
Santoro, C., Ieropoulos, I., Greenman, J., Cristiani, P., Vadas, T., Mackay, A., & Li, B. (2013). Current generation in membraneless single chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) treating urine. Journal of Power Sources, 238, 190-196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.03.095

This study investigated a novel treatment process for human urine in membraneless single-chamber microbial fuel cells (SCMFCs). The performances of SCMFCs with Pt-based or Pt-free cathode were tested for over 1000 hours of operation. The pH of the an... Read More about Current generation in membraneless single chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) treating urine.

The first self-sustainable microbial fuel cell stack (2013)
Journal Article
Ledezma, P., Stinchcombe, A., Greenman, J., & Ieropoulos, I. (2013). The first self-sustainable microbial fuel cell stack. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 15(7), 2278-2281. https://doi.org/10.1039/c2cp44548d

This study reports for the first time on the development of a self-sustainable microbial fuel cell stack capable of self-maintenance (feeding, hydration, sensing & reporting). Furthermore, the stack system is producing excess energy, which can be use... Read More about The first self-sustainable microbial fuel cell stack.

Effects of sulphate addition and sulphide inhibition on microbial fuel cells (2013)
Journal Article
Greenman, J., Gálvez, A., Ieropoulos, I., Ieropoulos, I., Gálvez, A., & Greenman, J. (2013). Effects of sulphate addition and sulphide inhibition on microbial fuel cells. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 52(1), 32-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enzmictec.2012.10.002

The effects of adding sulphate in: (i) standard activated sludge microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and (ii) larger-scale leachate-treating columns - both as individual units and as a system connected in cascade - are reported. S-replete power output was ∼2... Read More about Effects of sulphate addition and sulphide inhibition on microbial fuel cells.

Bi-directional electrical characterisation of microbial fuel cell (2013)
Journal Article
Ieropoulos, I. A., Greenman, J., Ledezma, P., Degrenne, N., Ledezma, P., Bevilacqua, P., …Ieropoulos, I. (2013). Bi-directional electrical characterisation of microbial fuel cell. Bioresource Technology, 128, 769-773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2012.10.110

The electrical performance of microbial fuel cells in steady-state is usually investigated by standard characterisation methods that reveal many important parameters e.g. maximum power. This paper introduces a novel " bi-directional" method to study... Read More about Bi-directional electrical characterisation of microbial fuel cell.

MFC-cascade stacks maximise COD reduction and avoid voltage reversal under adverse conditions (2013)
Journal Article
Ledezma, P., Greenman, J., & Ieropoulos, I. (2013). MFC-cascade stacks maximise COD reduction and avoid voltage reversal under adverse conditions. Bioresource Technology, 134, 158-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.01.119

Six continuous-flow Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) configured as a vertical cascade and tested under different electrical connections are presented. When in parallel, stable operation and higher power and current densities than individual MFCs were obse... Read More about MFC-cascade stacks maximise COD reduction and avoid voltage reversal under adverse conditions.

Comparing the short and long term stability of biodegradable, ceramic and cation exchange membranes in microbial fuel cells (2013)
Journal Article
Chambers, L. D., Winfield, J., Chambers, L., Rossiter, J., & Ieropoulos, I. (2013). Comparing the short and long term stability of biodegradable, ceramic and cation exchange membranes in microbial fuel cells. Bioresource Technology, 148, 480-486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.08.163

The long and short-term stability of two porous dependent ion exchange materials; starch-based compostable bags (BioBag) and ceramic, were compared to commercially available cation exchange membrane (CEM) in microbial fuel cells. Using bi-directional... Read More about Comparing the short and long term stability of biodegradable, ceramic and cation exchange membranes in microbial fuel cells.

Maximising electricity production by controlling the biofilm specific growth rate in microbial fuel cells (2012)
Journal Article
Ledezma, P., Greenman, J., & Ieropoulos, I. (2012). Maximising electricity production by controlling the biofilm specific growth rate in microbial fuel cells. Bioresource Technology, 118, 615-618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2012.05.054

The aim of this work is to study the relationship between growth rate and electricity production in perfusion-electrode microbial fuel cells (MFCs), across a wide range of flow rates by co-measurement of electrical output and changes in population nu... Read More about Maximising electricity production by controlling the biofilm specific growth rate in microbial fuel cells.

Investigating a cascade of seven hydraulically connected microbial fuel cells (2012)
Journal Article
Winfield, J., Ieropoulos, I., & Greenman, J. (2012). Investigating a cascade of seven hydraulically connected microbial fuel cells. Bioresource Technology, 110, 245-250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2012.01.095

Seven miniature microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were hydraulically linked in sequence and operated in continuous-flow (cascade). Power output and treatment efficiency were investigated using varying organic loads, flow-rates and electrical configurations... Read More about Investigating a cascade of seven hydraulically connected microbial fuel cells.

Urine utilisation by microbial fuel cells; Energy fuel for the future (2012)
Journal Article
Ieropoulos, I., Greenman, J., & Melhuish, C. (2012). Urine utilisation by microbial fuel cells; Energy fuel for the future. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 14(1), 94-98. https://doi.org/10.1039/c1cp23213d

This communication reports for the first time the direct utilisation of urine in MFCs for the production of electricity. Different conversion efficiencies were recorded, depending on the amount treated. Elements such as N, P, K can be locked into new... Read More about Urine utilisation by microbial fuel cells; Energy fuel for the future.

Microbial fuel cells for robotics: Energy autonomy through artificial symbiosis (2012)
Journal Article
Ieropoulos, I., Greenman, J., Melhuish, C., & Horsfield, I. (2012). Microbial fuel cells for robotics: Energy autonomy through artificial symbiosis. ChemSusChem, 5(6), 1020-1026. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201200283

The development of the microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has seen an enormous growth over the last hundred years since its inception by Potter in 1911. The technology has reached a level of maturity that it is now considered to be a field in its o... Read More about Microbial fuel cells for robotics: Energy autonomy through artificial symbiosis.

Investigating the effects of fluidic connection between microbial fuel cells (2011)
Journal Article
Winfield, J., Ieropoulos, I., Greenman, J., & Dennis, J. (2011). Investigating the effects of fluidic connection between microbial fuel cells. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 34(4), 477-484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-010-0491-x

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can 'treat' wastewater but individually are thermodynamically restricted. Scale-up might, therefore, require a plurality of units operating in a stack which could introduce losses simply through fluidic connections. Experi... Read More about Investigating the effects of fluidic connection between microbial fuel cells.