Design of iron(II) phthalocyanine-derived oxygen reduction electrocatalysts for high-power-density microbial fuel cells

Gokhale, Rohan; Mecheri, Barbara; D'Epifanio, Alessandra; Licoccia, Silvia; Serov, Alexey; Artyushkova, Kateryna; Atanassov, Plamen; Santoro, Carlo

Abstract

© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim Iron(II) phthalocyanine (FePc) deposited onto two different carbonaceous supports was synthesized through an unconventional pyrolysis-free method. The obtained materials were studied in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in neutral media through incorporation in an air-breathing cathode structure and tested in an operating microbial fuel cell (MFC) configuration. Rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) analysis revealed high performances of the Fe-based catalysts compared with that of activated carbon (AC). The FePc supported on Black-Pearl carbon black [Fe-BP(N)] exhibits the highest performance in terms of its more positive onset potential, positive shift of the half-wave potential, and higher limiting current as well as the highest power density in the operating MFC of (243±7) μW cm−2, which was 33 % higher than that of FePc supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (Fe-CNT(N); 182±5 μW cm−2). The power density generated by Fe-BP(N) was 92 % higher than that of the MFC utilizing AC; therefore, the utilization of platinum group metal-free catalysts can boost the performances of MFCs significantly.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 22, 2017
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: May 3, 2018
• Journal: ChemSusChem
• Print ISSN: 1864-5631
• Electronic ISSN: 1864-564X
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 16
• Pages: 3243-3251
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201700851
• Keywords: microbial fuel cells (MFCs), oxygen reduction electrocatalysts, rotating ring disk electrode, high-power-density
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/885638
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201700851
• Contract Date: May 3, 2018