Cathode modification with peptide nanotubes (PNTs) incorporating redox mediators for azo dyes decolorization enhancement in microbial fuel cells

To enhance azo dye reduction in cathode of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and power generation, a novel cathode modification method was developed on carbon paper (CP) through immobilization of redox mediators (RMs) with self-assembled peptide nanotubes (PNTs) as the carrier. Results showed that the optimum peptide concentration for PNT self-assembly on electrode and Orange II decolorization in MFCs was 2 mg mL^?1. The PNT/RMs/CP electrodes exhibited higher electrocatalytic activities than PNT or RM solely modified electrodes and raw carbon paper electrode. MFCs loaded with the riboflavin (RF)/PNT modified cathode (PNT/RF/CP) or anthraquinone-2, 6-disulfonate (AQDS)/PNT modified cathode (PNT/AQDS/CP) showed an enhanced decolorization rate to Orange II compared to that with the control electrode, with the reduction kinetic constants increased by 1.3 and 1.2 folds, respectively. Furthermore, the MFCs with the PNT/AQDS/CP cathode and PNT/RF/CP cathode generated a higher maximum power density of 55.5 mW m^?2 and 72.6 mW m^?2, respectively, compared to the control (15.5 mW m^?2). The PNT/RMs modification could reduce cathode total internal resistance and accelerate electron transfer from electrodes to dyes, which may result in the enhanced performance of MFCs.     

Short review on cobalt-free cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells

Cobalt-containing cathodes are known for their ability to operate under high-temperature applications in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Reducing the operation temperature into intermediate temperature-to-low temperature (IT-LT) zones may lead to a mismatch in the thermal expansion coefficient between the cathodes and the developed IT-LTSOFC electrolyte materials. Hence, cathode materials are adjusted to resolve this issue. Studies on IT-LTSOFC propose cobalt-free cathodes as an alternative way to produce high electrochemical performance cells for operation within the IT-LT range. Novel cobalt-free cathode powders are developed using perovskite structured materials, such as strontium ferrite oxide, as the main components together with dopants. This paper reviews various studies on cobalt-free cathode development, including the most important parameter in determining cathode performance, namely, the polarization resistance of SOFC cathodes.     

Development of an experimentally validated semi-empirical fully-coupled performance model of a PEM electrolysis cell with a 3-D structured porous transport layer

A semi-empirical non-isothermal model incorporating coupled momentum, heat and mass transport phenomena for predicting the performance of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis cell operating without flow channels is presented. Model input parameters such as electro-kinetics properties and mean pore size of the porous transport layer (PTL) were determined by rotating disc electrode and capillary flow porometry, respectively. This is the first report of a semi-empirical fully coupled model which allows one to quantify and investigate the effect of the gas phase and bubble coverage on PEM cell performance up to very high current densities of about 5 A/cm². The mass transport effects are discussed in terms of the operating conditions, design parameters and the microstructure of the PTL. The results show that, the operating temperature and pressure, and the inlet water flowrate and thickness of the PTL are the critical parameters for mitigating mass transport limitation at high current densities. The model presented here can serve as a tool for further development and scale-up effort in the area of PEM water electrolysis, and provide insight during the design stage.     

Performance improvement of dual processed perovskite solar cell—acid‐modified ZnO nanorods with Cl‐doped light harvesting layer

Effect of ZnO nanorod surface on fabricating the perovskite solar cell and its performance were studied. Varied thickness of ZnO nanorod arrays with rough surface condition were achieved through the control of hydrothermal growth time and acid treatment. Samples based on modified ZnO nanorod arrays exhibit an impressive increase on the open‐circuit voltage (V_oc) and fill factor (FF) compared with the untreated ones. Further research onto the surface topography and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test indicates that the improvement should be attributed to the suppression of the charge recombination rate at the ZnO nanorod/CH₃NH₃PbI₃ interface. In order to enhance the short‐circuit current density (J_sc) performance one step further, Cl‐doped perovskite crystal was introduced into the cell. Because of its longer electron diffusion length, an impressive J_sc is received. The final combination of the two methods with the optimized thickness of the ZnO nanorod brought a total power conversion efficiency of 13.3% together with V_oc~0.92 V, J_sc~23.1 mA/cm², and FF~63%. This work highlights the importance of the surface morphology of the electron transport layer and its interface contact with the light absorbing layer in a solar cell structure. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Degradation mechanisms in Li‐ion batteries: a state‐of‐the‐art review

One of the most prominent energy storage technologies which are under continuous development, especially for mobile applications, is the Li‐ion batteries due to their superior gravimetric and volumetric energy density. However, limited cycle life of Li‐ion batteries inhibits their extended use in stationary energy storage applications. To enable wider market penetration of Li‐ion batteries, detailed understanding of the degradation mechanisms is required. A typical Li‐ion battery comprised of an active material, binder, separator, current collector, and electrolyte, and the interaction between these components plays a critical role in successful operation of such batteries. Degradation of Li‐ion batteries can have both chemical and mechanical origins and manifests itself by capacity loss, power fading or both. Mechanical degradation mechanisms are associated with the volume changes and stress generated during repetitive intercalation of Li ions into the active material, whereas chemical degradation mechanisms are associated with the parasitic side reactions such as solid electrolyte interphase formation, electrolyte decomposition/reduction and active material dissolution. In this study, the main degradation mechanisms in Li‐ion batteries are reviewed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Managing risks in public-private partnership formation projects

While sourcing by means of Public-Private Partnerships has been lauded over recent years, increasingly risks appear to jeopardise public organisations' unique societal tasks. Integrated Risk Management has not yet been applied to public organisations getting involved in PPP in the sense of understanding risk management capabilities. This article explores risk awareness and risk management practices underpinning maintenance partnership formation by means of a dual case study of two PPP projects and a short industry survey. The results suggest that organisations face several “intolerable risks” linked to project governance and project management responsibilities: insufficient representation of qualified employees, absence of a shared performance system, assignment of responsibilities and decision-making authority, impractical or inappropriate partnership agreement, and timing of the partnership initiative. Cross-case analysis revealed the role of different levels of risk awareness and senior management involvement. Drawing on these findings, a framework for risk management for PPP formation projects is developed.     

Degradation behavior of Ni-YSZ anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) as a function of H2S concentration

This study investigated the effect of H₂S concentration (5, 10 and 50 ppm) on the degradation and performance of Ni-YSZ anode supported solid oxide fuel cells. When supplied with hydrogen fuel containing H₂S, the cell voltage dropped rapidly, and with increasing H₂S concentration, voltage drop % increased (due to higher sulfur coverage on the Ni surface) and saturated more rapidly. A high concentration (50 ppm) of H₂S led to an additional, slow rate voltage loss. In all cases, cell performance did not completely recover even after being supplied with H₂S-free hydrogen fuel, because of the incomplete desorption of sulfur from the Ni surface. After the performance tests, nickel sulfides were detected on the Ni surface by Raman spectra, which were produced by the reaction of the remaining adsorbed sulfur with Ni during the cooling process. This indicates that the formation of nickel sulfides was not responsible for the secondary voltage drop. SEM/EDS analyses combined with FIB revealed that the reason for the additional 2^nd drop was Ni oxidation; at a high sulfur coverage ratio (50 ppm), the outer layer of the Ni particle was oxidized by oxygen ions transported from the electrolyte. This indicates that H₂S concentration as well as current density is a critical factor for Ni oxidation, and gives rise to the second voltage drop (irreversible cell degradation). The present work showed that the degradation behavior and phenomenon can differ significantly depending on the concentration of H₂S, i.e., permanent changes may or may not occur on the anode (such as Ni oxidation) depending upon H₂S concentration.     

Innovative electrodes for direct methanol fuel cells based on carbon nanofibers and bimetallic PtAu nanocatalysts

Direct methanol fuel cells are very promising power sources, but the easy poisoning of the platinum anode electrocatalyst by CO-like reaction intermediates, restricts their industrial application and commercialization. The development of Pt-based alloys or bimetallic catalysts, in which the second metal acts as Pt poisoning inhibitor, is one of the main promising solutions to this problem. In this work we have combined the use of unconventional methods to deposit the catalyst nanoparticles with unconventional carbon supports. Innovative electrodes made of platelet carbon nanofibers, directly grown on graphite paper, as substrate for electrodeposited platinum and gold bimetallic nanoparticles, have been developed. These electrodes allow having a single layer with both the diffusive and catalytic function, and a considerable decrease of noble metals amount (about five times), with consequent large cost reduction. Moreover, the replacement of the conventional ink deposition methods with electrodeposition for platinum and gold dispersion, considerably increases the catalytic activity. The electrocatalytic performance results were encouraging. Gold allows increasing the catalyst poisoning tolerance and then the electrode long term stability. The innovative electrodes show a performance improvement up to three times compared to a commercial carbon substrate electrode (Vulcan XC-72R) with ink-spray deposited PtRu nanoparticles as catalyst.     

Calcium dosing for the simultaneous control of biomass retention and the enhancement of fermentative biohydrogen production in an innovative fixed-film bioreactor

Biohydrogen (bioH₂) production via dark fermentation is an attractive approach to overcome the drawbacks of conventional hydrogen production methods and represents a preliminary alternative for the management of organic wastes. Fundamental studies are still required to enhance the performance of bioH₂ production systems, with emphasis on the development of novel reactor configurations. The anaerobic structured-bed reactor (ASTBR) is a recently developed configuration with great potential for bioH₂ production, although operating strategies are still required to minimize biomass washout in such systems. In this context, calcium dosing has been investigated as a strategy to enhance both biomass retention and bioH₂ production rates in the ASTBR. The present study employed varying COD/calcium ratios (4423, 2079, 1357, 1012, 884, and 632) in continuous experiments under mesophilic conditions (25 °C). Calcium dosing effectively enhanced biomass retention within the ASTBR, directly increasing the availability of metabolic energy for different metabolic pathways rather than cell synthesis. An optimal COD/calcium ratio of 1360 was mathematically estimated for bioH₂ production, which is consistent with the results obtained experimentally. The specific organic loading rate (SOLR) was better controlled at this ratio, indicating the establishment of balanced conditions in terms of substrate availability and biomass concentration. Conversely, bioH₂ production was severely impaired at COD/calcium values below and above the optimal range, most likely due to enhancement of the homoacetogenic pathway as a result of unbalanced conditions in the SOLR. Furthermore, biomass accumulation did not strongly affect the mean residence time of the ASTBR, facilitating its robust and enhanced solid retention.