Double-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell with a Non-Platinum-Group Metal Fe-N-C Cathode Catalyst

作者：Santoro Carlo^*; Serov Alexey; Narvaez Villarrubia Claudia W; Stariha Sarah; Babanova Sofia; Schuler Andrew J; Artyushkova Kateryna; Atanassov Plamen

来源：Chemsuschem, 2015, 8(5): 828-834.

DOI：10.1002/cssc.201402570

• microbial fuel cells
• iron
• oxygen reduction reaction
• pH value
• power generation

Non-Pt-group metal (non-PGM) materials based on transition metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) and derived from iron salt and aminoantipyrine (Fe-AAPyr) of mebendazole (Fe-MBZ) were studied for the first time as cathode catalysts in double-chamber microbial fuel cells (DCMFCs). The pH value of the cathode chamber was varied from 6 to 11 to elucidate the activity of those catalysts in acidic to basic conditions. The Fe-AAPyr- and Fe-MBZ-based cathodes were compared to a Pt-based cathode used as a baseline. Pt cathodes performed better at pH6-7.5 and had similar performances at pH9 and a substantially lower performance at pH11 at which Fe-AAPyr and Fe-MBZ demonstrated their best electrocatalytic activity. The power density achieved with Pt constantly decreased from 94-99Wcm(-2) at pH6 to 55-57Wcm(-2) at pH11. In contrast, the power densities of DCMFs using Fe-AAPyr and Fe-MBZ were 61-68Wcm(-2) at pH6, decreased to 51-58Wcm(-2) at pH7.5, increased to 65-75Wcm(-2) at pH9, and the highest power density was achieved at pH11 (68-80Wcm(-2)). Non-PGM cathode catalysts can be manufactured at the fraction of the cost of the Pt-based ones. The higher performance and lower cost indicates that non-PGM catalysts may be a viable materials choice in large-scale microbial fuel cells.

• 出版日期2015-3