title: Effect of electrolyte pH on the rate of the anodic and cathodic reactions in an air-cathode microbial fuel cell.
abstract: The measurement of electricity generation from an air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) with a mixed bacteria culture at different pH showed that this MFC could tolerate an initial (feed solution) pH as high as 10. The optimal initial pH was between 8 and 10 with higher current generation compared to lower or higher pH. The bacterial metabolism exhibited a buffer effect and changed the electrolyte pH. The impedance spectra of the anode and cathode of the MFC at the open-circuit potential (OCP) revealed that the anodic microbial process preferred a neutral pH and microbial activities decreased at higher or lower pH; while the cathodic reaction was improved with increasing pH.
authors.affiliation: Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yuelong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Aswin K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Manohar
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mansfeld
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004560:Electricity; D004566:Electrodes; D004573:Electrolytes; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes