• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.1729-1731
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• 2010

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.36-39
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• 2013

We introduce a high-performance microbial fuel cell (MFC) that was operated using a 0.1M bicarbonate buffer as the cathodic electrolyte. The MFC had a 136.42 $mW/m^2$ maximum power density under continuous feeding of 5 mM acetate as fuel. Results of the electrode potential measurements showed that the cathode potential of the bicarbonate-buffered condition was higher than the phosphate-buffered condition, although the phosphate condition had less interfacial resistance between the membrane and electrolyte. Therefore, we posit here that the increased power of the bicarbonate-buffered MFC may be caused by the higher cathode potential rather than by the interfacial membrane-electrolyte resistance.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.438-441
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• 2005

A mediator-less microbial fuel cell (MFC) was used to determine the performance effects of a membrane­electrode assembly (MEA). The MFC with an MEA generated a higher current with an increased coulomb yield when compared to an MFC with a separate cathode. Less oxygen was diffused through an MEA than through a Nafion membrane. The MFC performance was improved with a buffer, although a high-strength buffer reduced the performance.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.363-367
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• 2014

One chambered sediment microbial fuel cell (SMFC) was equipped with Fe, brass (Cu/Zn), Fe/Zn, Cu, Cu/carbon cloth and graphite felt anode. Graphite felt was used as common cathode. The SMFC was membrane-less and mediator-less as well. Order of anodic performance on the basis of power density was Fe/Zn ($6.90Wm^{-2}$) > Fe ($6.03Wm^{-2}$) > Cu/carbon cloth ($2.13Wm^{-2}$) > Cu ($1.13Wm^{-2}$) > brass ($Cu/Zn=0.24Wm^{-2}$) > graphite felt ($0.10Wm^{-2}$). Fe/Zn composite anode have twisted 6.73% more power than Fe alone, Cu/carbon cloth boosted power production by 65%, and brass (Cu/Zn) produced 65% less power than Cu alone. Graphite felt have shown the lowest electricity generation because of its poor galvanic potential. The estuarine sediment served as supplier of oxidants or electron producing microbial flora, which evoked electrons via a complicated direct microbial electron transfer mechanism or making biofilm, respectively. Oxidation reduction was kept to be stationary over time except at the very initial period (mostly for sediment positioning) at anodes. Based on these findings, cost effective and efficient anodic material can be suggested for better SMFC configurations and stimulate towards practical value and application.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.213-227
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• 2020

As unrenewable energy resources have depleted over the years, the demand for renewable energy has increased promoting research for more effective methods to produce renewable energy. The field of fuel cell development, specifically microbial fuel cells (MFCs), has developed because of the dual performance potential of the technology. MFCs convert power by facilitating electrode-reducing organisms such as bacteria (microbes) as a catalyst to produce electrical energy. MFCs use domestic and industrial wastewater as fuel to initiate the process, purifying the wastewater as a result. Proton exchange membranes (PEM) play a crucial role in MFCs as a separator between the anodes and cathodes chambers allowing only protons to effectively pass through. Nafion is the commercially used PEM for MFCs, but there are many setbacks: such as cost, production time, and less effective proton conductivity properties. In this review there will be largely two parts. Firstly, several newly developed PEM are discussed as possible replacements of Nafion. Secondly, MFC based on PEM, blended PEM and composite PEM are summarized.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.498-504
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• 2008

Metal-reducing bacterium, Geobacter sulfurreducens is available for mediator-less microbial fuel cell (MFC) because it has biological nanowires(pili) which transfer electrons to outside the cell. In this study, in the anode chamber of the MFC system using G. sulfurreducens, the concentrations of NaCl, sodium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate as electrolytes were mainly optimized for the generation of electricity from acetate. 0.4%(w/v) NaClO and 0.5M $H_2SO_4$ could be utilized for the sterilization of acrylic plates and proton exchange membrane (major construction materials of the MFC reactor), respectively. When NaCl concentration in anode phosphate buffer increased from 5 to 50 mM, power density increased from 6 to $20\;mW/m^2$. However, with increasing sodium phosphate buffer concentration from 5 to 50 mM, power density significantly decreased from 18 to $1\;mW/m^2$. Twenty-four mM sodium bicarbonate did not affect electricity generation as well as pH under 50 mM phosphate buffer condition. Optimized anode chamber of MFC using G. sulfurreducens generated relatively high power density ($20\;mW/m^2$) with the maximum coulombic efficiency (41.3%).