title: Towards a hybrid anaerobic digester-microbial fuel cell integrated energy recovery system: an overview of the development of an electrogenic biofilm.
abstract: An electrogenic biofilm was developed on a macroporous chitosan-carbon nanotube (CHIT-CNT) electrode under constant poised potential (-0.25V versus Ag/AgCl reference electrode) and flow through conditions utilizing the effluent of an anaerobic digester as both the inoculant and substrate for the electrogenic biofilm. After 125 days of inoculation the bioelectrode demonstrated an open circuit potential of -0.62V and a current density of 9.43μAcm(-3) (at -0.25V). Scanning electron microscopy images indicate thorough surface coverage of the biofilm with a high density of bacterial nanowires physically connecting bacteria to bacteria and bacteria to carbon nanotube (electrode surface) suggesting the nanowires are electrically conductive. DGGE was used to identify the major bacterial and archaeal populations.
authors.affiliation: 1680 East West Rd., POST 109, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii, Honolulu HI 96822, United States. higginss@hawaii.edu
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Eulyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pagaling
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cooney
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods; D002678:Chimera; D048271:Chitosan; D058645:Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004566:Electrodes; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D048271:Chitosan