TY - JOUR
T1 - Three-dimensional graphene nanosheets as cathode catalysts in standard and supercapacitive microbial fuel cell
AU - Santoro, Carlo
AU - Kodali, Mounika
AU - Kabir, Sadia
AU - Soavi, Francesca
AU - Serov, Alexey
AU - Atanassov, Plamen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Three-dimensional graphene nanosheets (3D-GNS) were used as cathode catalysts for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) operating in neutral conditions. 3D-GNS catalysts showed high performance towards oxygen electroreduction in neutral media with high current densities and low hydrogen peroxide generation compared to activated carbon (AC). 3D-GNS was incorporated into air-breathing cathodes based on AC with three different loadings (2, 6 and 10 mgcm−2). Performances in MFCs showed that 3D-GNS had the highest performances with power densities of 2.059 ± 0.003 Wm-2, 1.855 ± 0.007 Wm-2 and 1.503 ± 0.005 Wm-2 for loading of 10, 6 and 2 mgcm−2 respectively. Plain AC had the lowest performances (1.017 ± 0.009 Wm-2). The different cathodes were also investigated in supercapacitive MFCs (SC-MFCs). The addition of 3D-GNS decreased the ohmic losses by 14–25%. The decrease in ohmic losses allowed the SC-MFC with 3D-GNS (loading 10 mgcm−2) to have the maximum power (Pmax) of 5.746 ± 0.186 Wm-2. At 5 mA, the SC-MFC featured an “apparent” capacitive response that increased from 0.027 ± 0.007 F with AC to 0.213 ± 0.026 F with 3D-GNS (loading 2 mgcm−2) and further to 1.817 ± 0.040 F with 3D-GNS (loading 10 mgcm−2).
AB - Three-dimensional graphene nanosheets (3D-GNS) were used as cathode catalysts for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) operating in neutral conditions. 3D-GNS catalysts showed high performance towards oxygen electroreduction in neutral media with high current densities and low hydrogen peroxide generation compared to activated carbon (AC). 3D-GNS was incorporated into air-breathing cathodes based on AC with three different loadings (2, 6 and 10 mgcm−2). Performances in MFCs showed that 3D-GNS had the highest performances with power densities of 2.059 ± 0.003 Wm-2, 1.855 ± 0.007 Wm-2 and 1.503 ± 0.005 Wm-2 for loading of 10, 6 and 2 mgcm−2 respectively. Plain AC had the lowest performances (1.017 ± 0.009 Wm-2). The different cathodes were also investigated in supercapacitive MFCs (SC-MFCs). The addition of 3D-GNS decreased the ohmic losses by 14–25%. The decrease in ohmic losses allowed the SC-MFC with 3D-GNS (loading 10 mgcm−2) to have the maximum power (Pmax) of 5.746 ± 0.186 Wm-2. At 5 mA, the SC-MFC featured an “apparent” capacitive response that increased from 0.027 ± 0.007 F with AC to 0.213 ± 0.026 F with 3D-GNS (loading 2 mgcm−2) and further to 1.817 ± 0.040 F with 3D-GNS (loading 10 mgcm−2).
KW - 3-D graphene nanosheets
KW - Capacitance
KW - Microbial fuel cell (MFC)
KW - Power generation
KW - Supercapacitive microbial fuel cell (SC-MFC)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85017227570&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.03.135
DO - 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.03.135
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85017227570
SN - 0378-7753
VL - 356
SP - 371
EP - 380
JO - Journal of Power Sources
JF - Journal of Power Sources
ER -