The microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bioelectrochemical devices to convert chemical energy into electricity using a microorganism, without relying on abiotic catalysts and fossil fuels. The microbes enable proton production and electron transfer by oxidizing organic matters, which can be from wastewater, biomass, and other feedstocks. The electrons flow will produce a direct electrical current, causing the potential differences between the anode and cathode compartments. The aromatic sulfonation (in Nafion) of a membrane may result in acidity changes in the anode, causing microbe inhibitions. Brewer’s yeast (S. cerevisiae) was used as a biocatalyst and was extensively studied in MFCs. This yeast strain was selected due to its resilience to environmental changes and facile mechanism of electron transfer. The S. cerevisiae a eukaryote was found to be retrofitted into ethanol plants for in situ power generation, which was found to improve the energy balance of the plant. Our study indicated that anodic biofilm modification using nanoparticles is an effective approach to improve electrochemical activities due to their high surface area and high electronic conductivity. The red light facilitates the efficient electron transfer through mediated redox couples within the anodic biota-anchored films. These redox mediators may represent an electronic network permeating the biofilm that can promote long-range electrical transfer in an energy-efficient manner, as a result of increasing MFC electricity production. As society migrates from the consumption of gasoline to low carbon-based fuels, the MFC will become more important in generating energy with low net emission.

Electrochemical property and long-term stability improvement of microbiol fuel cells using red-light radiation

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.