Double-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell with a Non-Platinum-Group Metal Fe-N-C Cathode Catalyst

Atanassov, Plamen; Artyushkova, Kateryna; Schuler, Andrew J.; Babanova, Sofia; Stariha, Sarah; Narvaez Villarrubia, Claudia W.; Serov, Alexey; Santoro, Carlo

Abstract

© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Non-Pt-group metal (non-PGM) materials based on transition metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) and derived from iron salt and aminoantipyrine (Fe-AAPyr) of mebendazole (Fe-MBZ) were studied for the first time as cathode catalysts in double-chamber microbial fuel cells (DCMFCs). The pH value of the cathode chamber was varied from 6 to 11 to elucidate the activity of those catalysts in acidic to basic conditions. The Fe-AAPyr- and Fe-MBZ-based cathodes were compared to a Pt-based cathode used as a baseline. Pt cathodes performed better at pH 6-7.5 and had similar performances at pH 9 and a substantially lower performance at pH 11 at which Fe-AAPyr and Fe-MBZ demonstrated their best electrocatalytic activity. The power density achieved with Pt constantly decreased from 94-99 μW cm-2 at pH 6 to 55-57 μW cm-2 at pH 11. In contrast, the power densities of DCMFs using Fe-AAPyr and Fe-MBZ were 61-68 μW cm-2 at pH 6, decreased to 51-58 μW cm-2 at pH 7.5, increased to 65-75 μW cm-2 at pH 9, and the highest power density was achieved at pH 11 (68-80 μW cm-2). Non-PGM cathode catalysts can be manufactured at the fraction of the cost of the Pt-based ones. The higher performance and lower cost indicates that non-PGM catalysts may be a viable materials choice in large-scale microbial fuel cells.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 21, 2015
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: May 1, 2018
• Journal: ChemSusChem
• Print ISSN: 1864-5631
• Electronic ISSN: 1864-564X
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 828-834
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201402570
• Keywords: non-PT group metal, iron salt, aminoantipyrine, cathode catalysts, double-chamber microbial fuel cells (DCMFCs)
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/839357
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201402570
• Contract Date: May 1, 2018