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Electro-osmotic-based catholyte production by Microbial Fuel Cells for carbon capture

Electro-osmotic-based catholyte production by Microbial Fuel Cells for carbon capture
Electro-osmotic-based catholyte production by Microbial Fuel Cells for carbon capture
In Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs), the recovery of water can be achieved with the help of both active (electro-osmosis), and passive (osmosis) transport pathways of electrolyte through the semi-permeable selective separator. The electrical current-dependent transport, results in cations and electro-osmotically dragged water molecules reaching the cathode. The present study reports on the production of catholyte on the surface of the cathode, which was achieved as a direct result of electricity generation using MFCs fed with wastewater, and employing Pt-free carbon based cathode electrodes. The highest pH levels (>13) of produced liquid were achieved by the MFCs with the activated carbon cathodes producing the highest power (309 μW). Caustic catholyte formation is presented in the context of beneficial cathode flooding and transport mechanisms, in an attempt to understand the effects of active and passive diffusion. Active transport was dominant under closed circuit conditions and showed a linear correlation with power performance, whereas osmotic (passive) transport was governing the passive flux of liquid in open circuit conditions. Caustic catholyte was mineralised to a mixture of carbonate and bicarbonate salts (trona) thus demonstrating an active carbon capture mechanism as a result of the MFC energy-generating performance. Carbon capture would be valuable for establishing a carbon negative economy and environmental sustainability of the wastewater treatment process.
Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC), Carbon veil cathodes, Electro-osmotic drag, Oxygen reduction reaction, Carbon capture
0043-1354
108-115
Gajda, Iwona
943dd6bd-524b-4c7b-b794-dec5ee8014b7
Greenman, John
eb3d9b82-7cac-4442-9301-f34884ae4a16
Melhuish, Chris
c52dcc8b-1e36-425e-80df-9d05d2b21893
Santoro, Carlo
03549f6d-d57f-4d79-8bae-2d9271aa7371
Li, Baikun
12bb227e-24b7-4c2e-bc6f-c29200d0aa4a
Cristiani, Pierangela
3cb7a0bc-6dd3-4514-ad96-60dc3578ce80
Ieropoulos, Ioannis
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13
Gajda, Iwona
943dd6bd-524b-4c7b-b794-dec5ee8014b7
Greenman, John
eb3d9b82-7cac-4442-9301-f34884ae4a16
Melhuish, Chris
c52dcc8b-1e36-425e-80df-9d05d2b21893
Santoro, Carlo
03549f6d-d57f-4d79-8bae-2d9271aa7371
Li, Baikun
12bb227e-24b7-4c2e-bc6f-c29200d0aa4a
Cristiani, Pierangela
3cb7a0bc-6dd3-4514-ad96-60dc3578ce80
Ieropoulos, Ioannis
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13

Gajda, Iwona, Greenman, John, Melhuish, Chris, Santoro, Carlo, Li, Baikun, Cristiani, Pierangela and Ieropoulos, Ioannis (2015) Electro-osmotic-based catholyte production by Microbial Fuel Cells for carbon capture. Water Research, 86, 108-115. (doi:10.1016/j.watres.2015.08.014).

Record type: Article

Abstract

In Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs), the recovery of water can be achieved with the help of both active (electro-osmosis), and passive (osmosis) transport pathways of electrolyte through the semi-permeable selective separator. The electrical current-dependent transport, results in cations and electro-osmotically dragged water molecules reaching the cathode. The present study reports on the production of catholyte on the surface of the cathode, which was achieved as a direct result of electricity generation using MFCs fed with wastewater, and employing Pt-free carbon based cathode electrodes. The highest pH levels (>13) of produced liquid were achieved by the MFCs with the activated carbon cathodes producing the highest power (309 μW). Caustic catholyte formation is presented in the context of beneficial cathode flooding and transport mechanisms, in an attempt to understand the effects of active and passive diffusion. Active transport was dominant under closed circuit conditions and showed a linear correlation with power performance, whereas osmotic (passive) transport was governing the passive flux of liquid in open circuit conditions. Caustic catholyte was mineralised to a mixture of carbonate and bicarbonate salts (trona) thus demonstrating an active carbon capture mechanism as a result of the MFC energy-generating performance. Carbon capture would be valuable for establishing a carbon negative economy and environmental sustainability of the wastewater treatment process.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 6 August 2015
e-pub ahead of print date: 12 August 2015
Published date: 1 December 2015
Keywords: Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC), Carbon veil cathodes, Electro-osmotic drag, Oxygen reduction reaction, Carbon capture

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 454509
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/454509
ISSN: 0043-1354
PURE UUID: 753a5dd1-1400-4b6f-a8a3-a53d78cdd3f1
ORCID for Ioannis Ieropoulos: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9641-5504

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Date deposited: 14 Feb 2022 17:42
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:10

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Contributors

Author: Iwona Gajda
Author: John Greenman
Author: Chris Melhuish
Author: Carlo Santoro
Author: Baikun Li
Author: Pierangela Cristiani

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