Effects of Polymer Matrices and Carbon Nanotubes on the Generation of Electric Energy in a Microbial Fuel Cell

Effects of Polymer Matrices and Carbon Nanotubes on the Generation of Electric Energy in a Microbial Fuel Cell

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The anode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) was formed on a graphite electrode and immobilized Gluconobacter oxydans VKM-1280 bacterial cells.Immobilization was performed in chitosan, poly(vinyl alcohol) or N-vinylpyrrolidone-modified poly(vinyl alcohol).Ethanol was used as substrate.The anode was modified using multiwalled carbon nanotubes.The aim of the modification was to create a conductive network between cell lipid membranes, containing exposed pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-dependent alcoholdehydrogenases, and the electrode to facilitate electron transfer in the system.

The bioelectrochemical cocktail tree for sale characteristics of modified anodes at various cell/polymer ratios were assessed via current density, power density, polarization curves and impedance spectres.Microbial fuel cells based on chitosan at a matrix/cell volume ratio of 5:1 produced maximal power characteristics of the system (8.3 μW/cm2) at a minimal resistance (1111 Ohm cm2).Modification of the anode by multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) led to a slight decrease of internal resistance (down to 1078 Ohm cm2) and to an increase of generated power density up to 10.6 μW/cm2.

We explored the possibility of accumulating electric energy from here an MFC on a 6800-μF capacitor via a boost converter.Generated voltage was increased from 0.3 V up to 3.2 V.Accumulated energy was used to power a Clark-type biosensor and a Bluetooth transmitter with three sensors, a miniature electric motor and a light-emitting diode.