Nashrieh Shimi va Mohandesi Shimi Iran

Nashrieh Shimi va Mohandesi Shimi Iran

Increasing the Efficiency of Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells by Optimizing Carbon-Based Electrodes

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Hossin Abdollahpour 1
Mostafa RahimNeghad 1
Mehrdad Mashkor 1
Sang Eun Oh 2
1 Chemical Engineering-Biotechnology, Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, I.R. IRAN
2 Chemical Engineering - Biotechnology, Kanggong University, South Korea
Abstract
In this study, first the optimal loading amounts of graphite paint applied to the surface and black carbon paint with activated carbon in the presence of a binder on the surface of the stainless steel mesh were determined, respectively, as 88.8 and 20 mg/cm², by impedance spectroscopy in a phosphate-buffered solution. Then these electrodes, alongside graphite-painted graphene sheets and binder-free graphite paint-coated stainless-steel meshes, with a surface density of 0.3 ± 1 mg/cm², were tested as the anodes and cathodes in a deposited microbial fuel cell. The results from polarization and impedance curves indicated that using a stainless-steel mesh coated with graphite powder in the presence of a binder as the anode and a coated stainless-steel mesh with black carbon paint without binder as the cathode leads to an output power increase of 291 mW/m² and an output current increase of 1102 mA/m², and reduces the internal resistance of the cell. These results confirm the importance of proper electrode design in enhancing the performance of deposited microbial fuel cells.
Keywords
Sediment microbial fuel cell
Stainless steel mesh
Multi-Electrode systems
Graphite electrode
Power density

Subjects

[1] Zabihollahpoor A., Rahimnejad M., Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell (SMFCs), Biological Fuel Cells, Elsevier,  439-461 (2023).
[2] Ahmed R., Mir F., Banerjee S., A Review on Energy Harvesting Approaches for Renewable Energies from Ambient Vibrations and Acoustic Waves Using Piezoelectricity, Smart Materials and Structures, 26(8): (2017).
[3] Domínguez-Garay A., Berná A., Ortiz-Bernad I., Esteve-Núñez A., Silica Colloid Formation Enhances Performance of Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells in a Low Conductivity Soil, Environmental science & technology, 47(4): 2117-2122 (2013).
[4] Donovan C., Dewan A., Peng H., Heo D., Beyenal H., Power Management System for a 2.5 W Remote Sensor Powered by a Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell, Journal of Power Sources, 196(3): 1171-1177 (2011).
[5] Xu C., Zhang J., Wang A., Liu W., Xu Y., Zhang G., Wang S., Impact of Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells on the Distribution of Different Forms of Phosphorus in Lake Sediment and Water, Environmental Technology, 1-12 (2025).
[6] Zhang Y., Min B., Huang L., Angelidaki I., Generation of Electricity and Analysis of Microbial Communities in Wheat Straw Biomass-Powered Microbial Fuel Cells, Applied and environmental microbiology, 75(11): 3389-3395 (2009).
[7] Li X., Qi J., Zhang J., Zhang Q., Lin Q., Li X., Yu J., In Situ Restoration of River Sediment by Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells Enhanced with Ecological Floating Islands, Journal of Soils and Sediments, 1-18 (2025).
[8] Dutta A., Barbora L., Stom D., Goswami P., Improving Power Performance of Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell Through Water Lettuce (Pistia Stratiotes) Assisted Boosting of Cathodic Activity, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 215: 115565 (2025).
[9] Abbas S.Z., Rafatullah M., Ismail N., Syakir M.I., Removal of Metals (Chromium and Copper) and Power Generation Through Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell, Int J Env Tech Sci, 2: 56-60 (2016).
[10] Cai Y., Yang N., Ren Y., Li X., Shi Y., Zhu R., Wang X., Effect of Graphite Fibers on the Performance of Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell, Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 35(3): 876-881 (2016).
[11] Xu J.-Y., Xu H., Yang X.-L., Singh R.P., Li T., Wu Y., Song H.-L., Simultaneous Bioelectricity Generation and Pollutants Removal of Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell Combined with Submerged Macrophyte, international journal of hydrogen energy, 46(20): 11378-11388 (2021).
[12] Tavakolian M., Taleghani H.G., Khorshidian M., New Design of Benthic Microbial Fuel Cell for Bioelectricity Generation: Comparative Study, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 45(43): 23533-23542 (2020).
[13] Yellappa M., Modestra J.A., Reddy Y.R., Mohan S.V., Functionalized Conductive Activated Carbon-Polyaniline Composite Anode for Augmented Energy Recovery in Microbial Fuel Cells, Bioresource Technology, 320: 124340 (2021).
[14] Masoudi M., Rahimnejad M., Mashkour M., Fabrication of Anode Electrode by a Novel Acrylic Based Graphite Paint on Stainless Steel Mesh and Investigating Biofilm Effect on Electrochemical Behavior of Anode in a Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell, Electrochimica Acta, 344: 136168 (2020).
[15] Bi Y., Pei J., Chen Z., Zhang L., Li R., Hu D., Preparation and Characterization of Luminescent Road-Marking Paint, International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology, 14: 252-258 (2021).
[16] Logan B.E., Hamelers B., Rozendal R., Schröder U., Keller J., Freguia S., Aelterman P., Verstraete W., Rabaey K., Microbial Fuel Cells: Methodology and Technology, Environmental science & technology, 40(17): 5181-5192 (2006).
[17] Karra U., Muto E., Umaz R., Kölln M., Santoro C., Wang L., Li B., Performance Evaluation of Activated Carbon-Based Electrodes with Novel Power Management System for Long-Term Benthic Microbial Fuel Cells, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 39(36): 21847-21856 (2014).
[18] Hong S., Chang I.S., Choi Y.S., Chung T.H.. Experimental Evaluation of Influential Factors for Electricity Harvesting from Sediment using Microbial Fuel Cell, Bioresource Technology, 100(12): 3029-3035 (2009).
[19] Babu M.L., Mohan S.V.. Influence of Graphite Flake Addition to Sediment on Electrogenesis in a Sediment-Type Fuel Cell, Bioresource technology, 110: 206-213 (2012).
[20] An J., Lee S-J., Ng H.Y., Chang I.S.. Determination of Effects of Turbulence Flow in a Cathode Environment on Electricity Generation Using a Tidal Mud-Based Cylindrical-Type Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell, Journal of Environmental Management, 91(12): 2478-2482 (2010).
[21] Fuentes-Albarrán C., Del Razo A., Juarez K., Alvarez-Gallegos A., Influence of NaCl, Na2SO4 and O2 on Power Generation from Microbial Fuel Cells with Non-Catalyzed Carbon Electrodes and Natural Inocula, Solar Energy, 86(4): 1099-1107 (2012).
[22] Zhang F., Tian L., He Z., Powering a Wireless Temperature Sensor Using Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells with Vertical Arrangement of Electrodes, Journal of Power Sources, 196(22): 9568-9573 (2011).
[23] An J., Lee S-J., Ng H.Y., Chang I.S., Comparison in Performance of Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells According to Depth of Embedded Anode, Bioresource Technology, 127: 138-142 (2013).