title: Novel electrode materials to enhance the bacterial adhesion and increase the power generation in microbial fuel cells (MFCs).
abstract: In this study, two novel electrode materials were tested to enhance bacterial adhesion and increase power production in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Polypyrrole (PPy), a nontoxic conductive polymer, was coated on the plain carbon cloth electrodes to bridge with the biopolymers on bacterial cell membranes and to improve the power production. The PPy-coated electrodes increased the initial power from 20 mW/m(2) to 160 mW/m(2) in the first 4-day period. But there was no clear difference between two PPy coating thicknesses (5-cycle coating and 50-cycle coating) in terms of the bacterial adhesion and power production. Granular activated carbon (GAC), a commonly used bacterial support material with high surface area, exhibited a good bacterial adhesion and high power output. GAC-SCMFCs (single chamber MFCs) generated 5 W/m(3) and maintained the peak power for 6 days. Compared with plain carbon cloth electrodes, GAC-SCMFCs had lower internal resistances and higher power generations. However, GAC-SCMFCs had lower columbic efficiency and energy conversion efficiency than the conventional two chamber MFCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-2037, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Daqian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Baikun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000166:cytology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D004566:Electrodes; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D011758:Pyrroles; C067635:polypyrrole; D002244:Carbon