title: A comparison of air and hydrogen peroxide oxygenated microbial fuel cell reactors.
abstract: In this study, a two-compartment continuous flow microbial fuel cell (MFC) reactor was used to compare the efficiencies of cathode oxygenation by air and by hydrogen peroxide. The MFC reactor had neither a proton-selective membrane nor an electron transfer mediator. At startup, the cathodic compartment was continuously aerated and the anodic compartment was fed with a glucose solution. An increase of electrical power generation from 0.008 to 7.2 mW m(-2) of anode surface with a steady-state potential of 215-225 mV was observed within a period of 12 days. The performance of the air-oxygenated MFC reactor progressively declined over time because of biofilm proliferation in the cathodic compartment. Oxygenation of the cathodic compartment using 300 mL d(-1) of 0.3% hydrogen peroxide solution resulted in a power density of up to 22 mW m(-2) (68.2 mA m(-2)) of anode surface at a potential of 340-350 mV. The use of H2O2 for oxygenation was found to improve the long-term stability of the MFC reactor.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, NRC, 6100 Royalmount Ave, Montréal, Québec, Canada H4P 2R2. boris.tartakovsky@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tartakovsky
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Guiot
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D004566:Electrodes; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D010100:Oxygen