title: Improved cathode for high efficient microbial-catalyzed reduction in microbial electrosynthesis cells.
abstract: Microbial electrosynthesis cells (MECs) are devices wherein microorganisms can electrochemically interact with electrodes, directly donating or accepting electrons from electrode surfaces. Here, we developed a novel cathode by using nickel nanowires anchored to graphite for the improvement of microbial-catalyzed reduction in MEC cathode chamber. This porous nickel-nanowire-network-coated graphite electrode increased the interfacial area and interfacial interactions between the cathode surface and the microbial biofilm. A 2.3 fold increase in bio-reduction rate over the untreated graphite was observed. Around 282 mM day(-1) m(-2) of acetate resulting from the bio-reduction of carbon dioxide by Sporomusa was produced with 82 ± 14% of the electrons consumed being recovered in acetate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
authors.forename: Huarong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mengmeng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Haiyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Derek R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lovley
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D055162:Biocatalysis; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology; D018441:Biofilms; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D004566:Electrodes; D006108:Graphite; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D045854:Veillonellaceae / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D006108:Graphite; D009532:Nickel