活性炭与TiO_2混合催化镍基体生物阴极微生物燃料电池性能研究

以发泡镍为基体,柱状活性炭颗粒和Ti O2粉末均匀混合后作为催化剂涂覆在电极表面。将此复合电极作为双室生物阴极型MFC的电极,研究MFC的产电性能。结果表明:在运行周期内,系统最大输出电压可达到698.1 m V,稳定在500 m V以上的高电压输出时间为18 d;单位质子膜面积上可获得最大功率密度为183.33W/m4,质子膜的使用量明显减少,从而大大降低了MFC的产电成本。同时,阳极室对原生活污水COD去除率可达到74%,而库伦效率也可达到68.9%。试验结果表明,活性炭和Ti O2混合涂覆镍基体电极对双室生物阴极型MFC产电的催化效果良好。     

微生物燃料电池MnO_2及活性炭混合催化剂的制备及其性能研究

利用机械混合及化学复合两种混合方式制备出用于微生物燃料电池(MFC)阴极的Mn O_2与活性炭导电材料的混合催化剂,混合质量比分别为1∶3,1∶1和3∶1。将以各催化剂制作的碳布阴极置于空气阴极MFC中运行,利用线性扫描伏安法测试碳布阴极的性能。研究表明,两种混合催化剂均在混合质量比为1∶1时具有最佳性能;化学复合催化剂MFC的最大功率密度达到336 m W/m~2,是单纯使用Mn O_2粉末时的2.51倍,优于机械混合的催化剂。     

泡沫镍空气阴极微生物燃料电池的产电特性

研究了泡沫镍阴极的制备和对单室微生物燃料电池产电性能的影响。研究发现,当阴极PTFE扩散层超过4+1层时,MFC的功率密度随扩散层数增加而逐渐下降;当阴极扩散层为五层(4+1层)时,微生物燃料电池最大功率密度最大,达到31.3 W/m3,电池的库仑效率为25%;当使用7+1层PTFE扩散层时,电池功率下降到25.6 W/m3;泡沫镍阴极厚度对阴极性能影响不大;研究发现,滚压后再涂一层扩散层能够抑制泡沫镍阴极的长期运行的析盐。     

电极材料对微生物燃料电池处理老龄垃圾渗滤液性能的影响

以碳毡和碳布为电极材料,老龄垃圾渗滤液为阳极底物构建生物阴极型微生物燃料电池(MFC),考察碳毡和碳布分别作为阴极和阳极材料时对MFC明在阳极材料相同时,碳毡阴极MFC料相同时,碳布阳极MFC输出电压和功率密度最大(分别为294 mV、95.31 mW/m~3)、化学需氧量和氨氮去除率最大(分别为58.78%、74.38%);阳极、阴极均为碳布的MFC内阻最小(308Ω),阳极、阴极均为碳毡的MFC内阻最大(347Ω)。     

MnO2为阴极催化剂的微生物燃料电池处理城市垃圾渗滤液研究

主要针对城市垃圾热解预处理过程所产生的渗滤液进行研究。首先改变城市垃圾堆放温度和堆放时间,发现城市垃圾于40℃堆放6 d后所得的渗滤液中生物需氧量(Biological Oxygen Demand,BOD)、氨氮浓度约为20800、1410 mg/L,B/C比、B/N比分别为0.32和14.8,营养物质较均衡,易于生化处理,且将其进行微生物燃料电池(Microbial Fuel Cell,MFC)处理时,电池可获得0.29 V的稳定输出电压。随后,以上述渗滤液为MFC阳极基质,考察廉价易得的Mn O2作为阴极催化剂对空气阴极单室MFC电池性能以及渗滤液中有机污染物去除率的影响。结果发现,由于Mn O2催化氧还原,加速了MFC阴极接受电子的速度,使得MFC电池性能有较大提高。其中,MFC的最大功率密度由0.16 W/m3提高到0.88 W/m3,而电池稳定输出电压明显升高至0.43 V,且阳极渗滤液中BOD和NH4+-N去除率也分别达72.9%和91.6%,比对照MFC分别提高8.1%和5.0%。     

V掺杂Co4N的双功能型电解水催化剂的设计与制备

为考察V掺杂Co4N的电解水催化性能,通过一步水热法合成含有Co/V的双金属氢氧化物前驱体CoV-LDH,并以尿素作为氮源,通过化学气相沉积法促使CoV-LDH向其氮化物结构实现相转变,从而获得钒掺杂的氮化四钴V-Co4N,该材料表现为由三维泡沫镍支撑的二维纳米片阵列结构.通过电化学法研究了V-Co4N的电解水催化特性,实验表明所得目标结构具有双功能型电解水催化特性,当驱动电流密度为10 mA/cm2时,其阴极端和阳极端所需过电势分别为61 mV和245 mV,相较于现有商用催化剂具备较强的竞争优势.进一步横向对比研究了引入Mo、Mn、Cr不同金属掺杂,不同热处理温度以及不同阴离子配位的因素对目标结构的电催化活性的影响.结果表明:引入V掺杂,N作为钴阴离子配位,且采用350℃热处理所得目标产物具有最佳催化活性和经济效应.     

不同阴极催化剂对城市垃圾渗滤液微生物燃料电池处理的影响

以城市垃圾渗滤液为阳极液基质,比较以MnO_2和TiO_2为阴极催化剂时,对MFC电池性能以及渗滤液中有机污染物去除率的影响。结果表明,MnO_2和TiO_2作为阴极催化剂,可催化氧化阴极最终电子受体(O_2)、提高电子传递速率,最终提高电池性能。阴极负载MnO_2后,电池性能显著提高,稳定输出电压和最大功率密度分别增大到0.43 V和0.89 W/m~3。与未负载阴极催化剂的MFC相比,经MFC运行7 d后,渗滤液中的生物需氧量(BOD)和NH_4~+-N去除率分别提高8.1%和5.0%,达72.9%和91.6%。但由于缺少光照,阴极负载TiO_2后电池性能无明显改善,稳定输出电压仅为0.23 V,最大功率密度仅0.12 W/m~3,且渗滤液中有机污染物的BOD和NH_4~+-N去除率比负载MnO_2催化剂的MFC低8.8%和5.7%。     

流化床电极直接碳燃料电池实验研究

将流化床电极应用到直接碳燃料电池(DCFC)中,得到一种新型的流化床电极直接碳燃料电池(FBEDCFC).为研究该燃料电池的输出特性,搭建了环形FBEDCFC实验装置,分析了反应温度、阴极气体流速、阳极气体流速、镍催化剂添加量和炭颗粒粒径对燃料电池放电曲线的影响.结果表明:反应温度为923K、阳极气体流速为18.59mm/s、阴极气体流速为19.57mm/s、镍催化剂添加量为45g、炭颗粒粒径为2.5~3.5mm时,可得到FBEDCFC的开路电压和最大输出功率密度,分别为0.896V和28.70mW/cm2.     

阴极电子受体对微生物燃料电池性能的影响

以双室型微生物燃料电池为试验装置,比较铁氰化钾、重铬酸钾、高锰酸钾作为阴极电子受体时微生物燃料电池的电压和功率输出。结果表明,高锰酸钾与重铬酸钾混合电子受体对微生物燃料电池性能的提高没有显著效果,不如两者的单独表现;高锰酸钾对应的最高输出电压可达1 160 mV,但很不稳定,会很快下降到600 mV左右,在实际应用中有一定障碍;在酸性条件(pH=3.0)下,重铬酸钾的开路电压为1 081.2 mV,最大输出功率密度为35.1 W/m3,电池内阻为170.27Ω,而且表现稳定,是理想的阴极电子受体。     

单室微生物燃料电池产电特性研究

采用石墨板为阴极构建了单室空气阴极微生物燃料电池(MFC),以混合菌种接种,并以乙酸钠和碳酸氢钠为碳源,研究了该MFC在间歇运行条件下的产电性能、电池内阻情况和COD去除率。结果表明,最高输出电压随着周期数增加而增加,由0.075 9 V上升到0.200 6 V,最大输出功率密度为34.80 mW/m2;在一个运行周期内,电池内阻随着时间的延长而逐渐增大,由376.6Ω上升到682.0Ω,电池内阻的增大将导致输出电压降低。COD去除率由起始的49.23%达到最大值86.99%,说明此单室空气阴极微生物燃料电池在产电的同时处理污水的效果也较好。     

A non-noble V2O5 nanorods as an alternative cathode catalyst for microbial fuel cell applications

This study assessed the feasibility of vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) as a novel cathode catalyst material in air-cathode single chamber microbial fuel cells (SCMFCs). The V₂O₅ nanorod catalyst was synthesized using a hydrothermal method. MFCs with different cathode catalyst loadings were studied. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to examine the electrochemical behavior of the catalysts in the MFCs. The V₂O₅ cathode catalyst constructed with a double loading MFC exhibited the highest maximum power density of 1073 ± 18 mW m⁻² (OCP; 691±4 mV) compared with 447 ± 12 mW m⁻² (OCP; 594 ± 5 mV) and 936 ± 15 mW m⁻² (OCP; 647±5 mV) for the single loading MFC and triple loading MFC, respectively. The power density of MFC with double loaded V₂O₅ is comparable to the traditional Pt/C cathode (2067 ± 25 mW m⁻², OCP; 821 ± 4 mV), which covers up to 55% of the performance of Pt/C. This finding highlights the potential of the V₂O₅ cathode as an inexpensive catalyst material for MFCs that may have commercial applications.     

Using rhodium as a cathode catalyst for enhancing performance of microbial fuel cell

Rhodium with activated carbon as carbon base layer (Rh/AC) was exploited as an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst to explore its applicability in microbial fuel cell (MFC). Four MFCs were fabricated using the Rh/AC catalyst, adopting varying Rh loadings of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg cm⁻² and without Rh on carbon felt cathode in order to understand the optimum loading of this catalyst to enhance the performance of MFC. The participation of Rh/AC in ORR was confirmed by cyclic voltammetry and electron impedance spectroscopy analysis, which supported the enhanced charge transfer capacity of the cathode modified with the prepared catalysts. Volumetric power density of MFC was found to be improved by 2.6 times when Rh/AC was used as cathode catalyst (9.36 W m⁻³) at a loading of 2.0 mg cm⁻² in comparison to the control MFC (3.65 W m⁻³) without Rh on the cathode. It was thus inferred that the increase in the Rh loading up to 2 mg cm⁻² can improve the performance of MFC significantly.     

Enhanced electrochemical performance in microbial fuel cell with carbon nanotube/NiCoAl-layered double hydroxide nanosheets as air-cathode

The ternary component NiCoAl-layered double hydroxide (NiCoAl-LDH) and carbon nanotube (CNT) nano-composite (CNT/NiCoAl-LDH) were successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The NiCoAl-LDH nanosheets were effectively and uniformly grown on CNTs, forming a cross-linked conductive network structure, and stainless steel (SS) mesh was used as the base to load CNT/NiCoAl-LDH for microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathode. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results presented that the CNT/NiCoAl-LDH hybrid exhibited the (003), (006), (012), (015), (018), (110) and (113) crystal planes of hydrotalcite reflection. The surface functional groups C-O, C=O, C-H, C-N and M-O of the hybrid were confirmed. The cross-linked network structure of the hybrid was observed and the content and proportion of each element of the hybrid were found. CNT/NiCoAl-LDH showed excellent catalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) ability by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear voltammetry (LSV) due to its abundant electrochemical active sites and excellent conductivity. The maximum output voltage of CNT/NiCoAl-LDH catalyst as MFC cathode was 450 mV, the maximum power density was 433.5 ± 14.8 mW/m², and the maximum voltage stabilization time was 7–8 d. The results indicated that the CNT/NiCoAl-LDH hybrid was full potential as a high-performance, low-cost MFC cathode catalyst in future.     

Microbial fuel cell operation on carbon monoxide: Cathode catalyst selection

Electricity production from carbon monoxide (CO) in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) has recently been demonstrated. Efficient operation of this MFC requires a CO-tolerant and preferably inexpensive cathode. Pyrolised CoTMPP, FeTMPP, and Co/FeTMPP gas diffusion cathodes were tested in MFCs operated on acetate or CO. When the MFC was fed with acetate the best cathode performance was obtained when using a Co/FeTMPP (3:1) cathode with a Me catalyst load of 0.5 mg cm⁻², although this performance was slightly lower than that obtained with a cathode containing 0.5 mg-Pt cm⁻². Tests using a MFC operated on CO showed a higher power output when using the Co/FeTMPP cathode when compared both with CoTMPP and Pt cathodes.     

Impact of salinity on cathode catalyst performance in microbial fuel cells (MFCs)

Several alternative cathode catalysts have been proposed for microbial fuel cells (MFCs), but effects of salinity (sodium chloride) on catalyst performance, separate from those of conductivity on internal resistance, have not been previously examined. Three different types of cathode materials were tested here with increasingly saline solutions using single-chamber, air-cathode MFCs. The best MFC performance was obtained using a Co catalyst (cobalt tetramethoxyphenyl porphyrin; CoTMPP), with power increasing by 24 ± 1% to 1062 ± 9 mW/m² (normalized to the projected cathode surface area) when 250 mM NaCl (final conductivity of 31.3 mS/cm) was added (initial conductivity of 7.5 mS/cm). This power density was 25 ± 1% higher than that achieved with Pt on carbon cloth, and 27 ± 1% more than that produced using an activated carbon/nickel mesh (AC) cathode in the highest salinity solution. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) was used to separate changes in performance due to solution conductivity from those produced by reductions in ohmic resistance with the higher conductivity solutions. The potential of the cathode with CoTMPP increased by 17–20 mV in LSVs when the NaCl addition was increased from 0 to 250 mM independent of solution conductivity changes. Increases in current were observed with salinity increases in LSVs for AC, but not for Pt cathodes. Cathodes with CoTMPP had increased catalytic activity at higher salt concentrations in cyclic voltammograms compared to Pt and AC. These results suggest that special consideration should be given to the type of catalyst used with more saline wastewaters. While Pt oxygen reduction activity is reduced, CoTMPP cathode performance will be improved at higher salt concentrations expected for wastewaters containing seawater.     

Enhanced bioelectrochemical performance by NiCoAl-LDH/MXene hybrid as cathode catalyst for microbial fuel cell

In this work, NiCoAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH)/MXene was successfully prepared through straightforward hydrothermal method. NiCoAl-LDH was tightly and uniformly coated on MXene, forming a kind of porous structure. NiCoAl-LDH/MXene exhibited the (002) (012) (105) (100) crystal planes of hydrotalcite reflection. NiCoAl-LDH/MXene also showed superior catalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in response current according to electrochemical test (cyclic voltammetry (CV) etc.). The maximum power density and output voltage of NiCoAl-LDH/MXene as cathode in microbial fuel cell (MFC) was 362.404 mW/m² and 450 mV, respectively, which was 1.54 times of MXene-MFC (234.256 mW/m²) and 1.71 times of NiCoAl-LDH-MFC (211.56 mW/m²). The results indicated that NiCoAl-LDH/MXene was a kind of potential cathode catalyst for MFC and was full of future application.     

Polypyrrole/carbon black composite as a novel oxygen reduction catalyst for microbial fuel cells

A polypyrrole/carbon black (Ppy/C) composite has been employed as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in an air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC). The electrocatalytic activity of the Ppy/C is evaluated toward the oxygen reduction using cyclic voltammogram and linear sweep voltammogram methods. In comparison with that at the carbon black electrode, the peak potential of the ORR at the Pp/C electrode shifts by approximate 260 mV towards positive potential, demonstrating the electrocatalytic activity of Ppy toward ORR. Additionally, the results of the MFC experiments show that the Ppy/C is well suitable to fully substitute the traditional cathode materials in MFCs. The maximum power density of 401.8 mW m⁻² obtained from the MFC with a Ppy/C cathode is higher than that of 90.9 mW m⁻² with a carbon black cathode and 336.6 mW m⁻² with a non-pyrolysed FePc cathode. Although the power output with a Ppy/C cathode is lower than that with a commercial Pt cathode, the power per cost of a Ppy/C cathode is 15 times greater than that of a Pt cathode. Thus, the Ppy/C can be a good alternative to Pt in MFCs due to the economic advantage.     

Power generation using polyaniline/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes as an alternative cathode catalyst in microbial fuel cells

Optimization of the cathode catalyst is critical to the study of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). By using the open circuit voltage and power density as evaluation standards, this study focused on the use of polyaniline (PANI)/multi‐walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composites as cathode catalysts for the replacement of platinum (Pt) in an air‐cathode MFC, which was fed with synthetic wastewater. Scanning electron microscopy and linear scan voltammogram methods were used to evaluate the morphology and electrocatalytic activity of cathodes. A maximum power density of 476 mW/m² was obtained with a 75% wt PANI/MWNT composite cathode, which was higher than the maximum power density of 367 mW/m² obtained with a pure MWNT cathode but lower than the maximum power density of 541 mW/m² obtained with a Pt/C cathode. Thus, the use of PANI/MWNT composites may be a suitable alternative to a Pt/C catalyst in MFCs. PANI/MWNT composites were initially used as cathodic catalysts to replace Pt/C catalysts, which enhanced the power generation of MFCs and substantially reduced their cost. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

阳极材料对微生物燃料电池性能影响的研究

以石墨、碳纸、碳布和碳毡为阳极材料,研究不同材料在微生物燃料电池中的产电性能,并利用循环伏安法比较不同材料的电化学活性。结果表明:在电池性能方面,以石墨为阳极微生物燃料电池电压可达0.678V,输出功率为250mW/m2;碳毡电压达0.656V,输出功率204mW/m2,碳纸0.649V,输出功率156mW/m2;碳布最差,电压不稳定,输出功率56mW/m2。循环伏安曲线和电极材料表观吸附量:碳毡作为阳极材料,具有明显的氧化峰和还原峰,对导电微生物具有显著的吸附量,其次是石墨,碳纸次之,最差的是碳布。