(378b) Improving Electrode Performances for Air-Cathode Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is a bio-electrochemical system that utilizes the microorganisms and organic wastes to generate electrical energy. The microorganisms are exoelectrogenic bacteria that serve as both catalyst and electron transporter. In this study, the exoelectrogenic bacteria were attached and cultivated on the graphite electrode. The graphite electrodes were further modified to increase surface area and to improve hydrophilicity. Linear sweep voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry analyses indicated that the modified electrode could improve electrochemical properties. The modified electrode in a half H-type bottle microbial fuel cell (H-MFC) with a Pt-coated carbon paper as both counter and reference electrode had a higher power density, which was more 100% than the unmodified electrode. Besides, by adjusting the electrode distance and increasing the effective area of cathode, a higher power density could be reached. This work demonstrated the preparation of a hydrophilic graphite electrode to improve performance microbial fuel cells.