title: Double-chamber microbial fuel cell with a non-platinum-group metal Fe-N-C cathode catalyst.
abstract: Non-Pt-group metal (non-PGM) materials based on transition metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) and derived from iron salt and aminoantipyrine (Fe-AAPyr) of mebendazole (Fe-MBZ) were studied for the first time as cathode catalysts in double-chamber microbial fuel cells (DCMFCs). The pH value of the cathode chamber was varied from 6 to 11 to elucidate the activity of those catalysts in acidic to basic conditions. The Fe-AAPyr- and Fe-MBZ-based cathodes were compared to a Pt-based cathode used as a baseline. Pt cathodes performed better at pH 6-7.5 and had similar performances at pH 9 and a substantially lower performance at pH 11 at which Fe-AAPyr and Fe-MBZ demonstrated their best electrocatalytic activity. The power density achieved with Pt constantly decreased from 94-99 μW cm(-2) at pH 6 to 55-57 μW cm(-2) at pH 11. In contrast, the power densities of DCMFs using Fe-AAPyr and Fe-MBZ were 61-68 μW cm(-2) at pH 6, decreased to 51-58 μW cm(-2) at pH 7.5, increased to 65-75 μW cm(-2) at pH 9, and the highest power density was achieved at pH 11 (68-80 μW cm(-2) ). Non-PGM cathode catalysts can be manufactured at the fraction of the cost of the Pt-based ones. The higher performance and lower cost indicates that non-PGM catalysts may be a viable materials choice in large-scale microbial fuel cells.
authors.affiliation: Center for Emerging Energy Technologies, The University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico-MSC01 1120, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (USA).
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serov
authors.forename: Claudia W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Narvaez Villarrubia
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stariha
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Babanova
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Schuler
authors.forename: Kateryna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Artyushkova
authors.forename: Plamen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Atanassov
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D004566:Electrodes; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D007501:Iron; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: iron; microbial fuel cells; oxygen reduction reaction; pH value; power generation