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Immobilization of a Metal–Nitrogen–Carbon Catalyst on Activated Carbon with Enhanced Cathode Performance in Microbial Fuel Cells
Author(s) -
Yang Wulin,
Logan Bruce E.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201600573
Subject(s) - microbial fuel cell , cathode , catalysis , activated carbon , carbon fibers , chemical engineering , materials science , nitrogen , power density , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , electrode , organic chemistry , anode , composite material , adsorption , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , composite number , engineering
Applications of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are limited in part by low power densities mainly due to cathode performance. Successful immobilization of an Fe–N–C co‐catalyst on activated carbon (Fe–N–C/AC) improved the oxygen reduction reaction to nearly a four‐electron transfer, compared to a twoelectron transfer achieved using AC. With acetate as the fuel, the maximum power density was 4.7±0.2 W m −2 , which is higher than any previous report for an air‐cathode MFC. With domestic wastewater as a fuel, MFCs with the Fe–N–C/AC cathode produced up to 0.8±0.03 W m −2 , which was twice that obtained with a Pt‐catalyzed cathode. The use of this Fe–N–C/AC catalyst can therefore substantially increase power production, and enable broader applications of MFCs for renewable electricity generation using waste materials.