Effect of nitrogen addition on the performance of microbial fuel cell anodes

Tomonori Saito; Maha Mehanna; Xin Wang; Roland D. Cusick; Yujie Feng; Michael A. Hickner; Bruce E. Logan

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2010.05.063

Effect of nitrogen addition on the performance of microbial fuel cell anodes

Tomonori Saito, Maha Mehanna, Xin Wang, Roland D. Cusick, Yujie Feng, Michael A. Hickner, Bruce E. Logan

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

71 Scopus citations

Abstract

Carbon cloth anodes were modified with 4(N,N-dimethylamino)benzene diazonium tetrafluoroborate to increase nitrogen-containing functional groups at the anode surface in order to test whether the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) could be improved by controllably modifying the anode surface chemistry. Anodes with the lowest extent of functionalization, based on a nitrogen/carbon ratio of 0.7 as measured by XPS, achieved the highest power density of 938mW/m². This power density was 24% greater than an untreated anode, and similar to that obtained with an ammonia gas treatment previously shown to increase power. Increasing the nitrogen/carbon ratio to 3.8, however, decreased the power density to 707mW/m². These results demonstrate that a small amount of nitrogen functionalization on the carbon cloth material is sufficient to enhance MFC performance, likely as a result of promoting bacterial adhesion to the surface without adversely affecting microbial viability or electron transfer to the surface.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	395-398
Number of pages	4
Journal	Bioresource Technology
Volume	102
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2010.05.063
State	Published - Jan 2011
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (CBET-08,03,137), Award KUS-11-003-I3 from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and the National Creative Research Groups of China (No. 50821002). We thank Dr. Timothy B. Tighe for helping XPS analysis. We also thank Mr. David W. Jones and Ms. Ellen M. Bingham for technical support for this research.

Funders	Funder number
National Creative Research Groups of China	50821002
National Science Foundation	KUS-11-003-I3, CBET-08,03,137
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Keywords

Anode treatment
Bacterial adhesion
Diazonium functionalization
Microbial fuel cell

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.biortech.2010.05.063

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title = "Effect of nitrogen addition on the performance of microbial fuel cell anodes",

abstract = "Carbon cloth anodes were modified with 4(N,N-dimethylamino)benzene diazonium tetrafluoroborate to increase nitrogen-containing functional groups at the anode surface in order to test whether the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) could be improved by controllably modifying the anode surface chemistry. Anodes with the lowest extent of functionalization, based on a nitrogen/carbon ratio of 0.7 as measured by XPS, achieved the highest power density of 938mW/m2. This power density was 24% greater than an untreated anode, and similar to that obtained with an ammonia gas treatment previously shown to increase power. Increasing the nitrogen/carbon ratio to 3.8, however, decreased the power density to 707mW/m2. These results demonstrate that a small amount of nitrogen functionalization on the carbon cloth material is sufficient to enhance MFC performance, likely as a result of promoting bacterial adhesion to the surface without adversely affecting microbial viability or electron transfer to the surface.",

keywords = "Anode treatment, Bacterial adhesion, Diazonium functionalization, Microbial fuel cell",

author = "Tomonori Saito and Maha Mehanna and Xin Wang and Cusick, {Roland D.} and Yujie Feng and Hickner, {Michael A.} and Logan, {Bruce E.}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.biortech.2010.05.063",

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AU - Saito, Tomonori

AU - Mehanna, Maha

AU - Wang, Xin

AU - Cusick, Roland D.

AU - Feng, Yujie

AU - Hickner, Michael A.

AU - Logan, Bruce E.

PY - 2011/1

Y1 - 2011/1

N2 - Carbon cloth anodes were modified with 4(N,N-dimethylamino)benzene diazonium tetrafluoroborate to increase nitrogen-containing functional groups at the anode surface in order to test whether the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) could be improved by controllably modifying the anode surface chemistry. Anodes with the lowest extent of functionalization, based on a nitrogen/carbon ratio of 0.7 as measured by XPS, achieved the highest power density of 938mW/m2. This power density was 24% greater than an untreated anode, and similar to that obtained with an ammonia gas treatment previously shown to increase power. Increasing the nitrogen/carbon ratio to 3.8, however, decreased the power density to 707mW/m2. These results demonstrate that a small amount of nitrogen functionalization on the carbon cloth material is sufficient to enhance MFC performance, likely as a result of promoting bacterial adhesion to the surface without adversely affecting microbial viability or electron transfer to the surface.

AB - Carbon cloth anodes were modified with 4(N,N-dimethylamino)benzene diazonium tetrafluoroborate to increase nitrogen-containing functional groups at the anode surface in order to test whether the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) could be improved by controllably modifying the anode surface chemistry. Anodes with the lowest extent of functionalization, based on a nitrogen/carbon ratio of 0.7 as measured by XPS, achieved the highest power density of 938mW/m2. This power density was 24% greater than an untreated anode, and similar to that obtained with an ammonia gas treatment previously shown to increase power. Increasing the nitrogen/carbon ratio to 3.8, however, decreased the power density to 707mW/m2. These results demonstrate that a small amount of nitrogen functionalization on the carbon cloth material is sufficient to enhance MFC performance, likely as a result of promoting bacterial adhesion to the surface without adversely affecting microbial viability or electron transfer to the surface.

KW - Anode treatment

KW - Bacterial adhesion

KW - Diazonium functionalization

KW - Microbial fuel cell

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Effect of nitrogen addition on the performance of microbial fuel cell anodes

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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