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Evaluation of porous carbon felt as an aerobic biocathode support in terms of hydrogen peroxide

Evaluation of porous carbon felt as an aerobic biocathode support in terms of hydrogen peroxide
Evaluation of porous carbon felt as an aerobic biocathode support in terms of hydrogen peroxide

Aerobic biocathodes provide a low-cost and sustainable substitute for expensive precious metal catalysts at the cathode of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs). However, the abiotic formation of peroxide, which is catalyzed by the porous carbon support at certain cathode potentials, may be detrimental to their activity. Two different carbon felt supports, one treated with nitric acid, the other untreated, were characterized electrochemically through a series of chronoamperometry (CA) experiments using a novel 4-electrode electrochemical setup, in order to determine the potential at which peroxide is initially formed. Peroxide was detected at a potential of −0.2 V (all potentials are against Ag/AgCl) for the untreated carbon felt electrode and at a potential of −0.05 V for the nitric acid treated carbon felt. Given these results, two half-cells poised at −0.2 and −0.1 V were setup in order to study biocathode formation. The half-cell poised at −0.2 V did not develop an aerobic biocathode, whereas the half-cell poised at −0.1 V developed an aerobic biocathode. This study shows that to develop aerobic biocathodes on carbon felt, cathode electrode potentials more positive than −0.2 V must be applied.

Aerobic biocathode, Biofilm, Microbial Fuel Cell, Oxygen reduction reaction, Potentiostat-poised bioelectrochemical half-cell
0378-7753
459-466
Milner, Edward M.
82a72bb5-e779-4252-992f-f95287e3b3e0
Scott, Keith
38909157-296d-4fe7-a245-1b98e1fee913
Head, Ian M.
45e5ea84-bd86-4ffd-a6e3-64b23dc711d2
Curtis, Tom
2b8446bd-db3b-4120-ad21-d1be43f58865
Yu, Eileen Hao
28e47863-4b50-4821-b80b-71fb5a2edef2
Milner, Edward M.
82a72bb5-e779-4252-992f-f95287e3b3e0
Scott, Keith
38909157-296d-4fe7-a245-1b98e1fee913
Head, Ian M.
45e5ea84-bd86-4ffd-a6e3-64b23dc711d2
Curtis, Tom
2b8446bd-db3b-4120-ad21-d1be43f58865
Yu, Eileen Hao
28e47863-4b50-4821-b80b-71fb5a2edef2

Milner, Edward M., Scott, Keith, Head, Ian M., Curtis, Tom and Yu, Eileen Hao (2017) Evaluation of porous carbon felt as an aerobic biocathode support in terms of hydrogen peroxide. Journal of Power Sources, 356, 459-466. (doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.03.079).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Aerobic biocathodes provide a low-cost and sustainable substitute for expensive precious metal catalysts at the cathode of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs). However, the abiotic formation of peroxide, which is catalyzed by the porous carbon support at certain cathode potentials, may be detrimental to their activity. Two different carbon felt supports, one treated with nitric acid, the other untreated, were characterized electrochemically through a series of chronoamperometry (CA) experiments using a novel 4-electrode electrochemical setup, in order to determine the potential at which peroxide is initially formed. Peroxide was detected at a potential of −0.2 V (all potentials are against Ag/AgCl) for the untreated carbon felt electrode and at a potential of −0.05 V for the nitric acid treated carbon felt. Given these results, two half-cells poised at −0.2 and −0.1 V were setup in order to study biocathode formation. The half-cell poised at −0.2 V did not develop an aerobic biocathode, whereas the half-cell poised at −0.1 V developed an aerobic biocathode. This study shows that to develop aerobic biocathodes on carbon felt, cathode electrode potentials more positive than −0.2 V must be applied.

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More information

Published date: 24 March 2017
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 2017 The Authors
Keywords: Aerobic biocathode, Biofilm, Microbial Fuel Cell, Oxygen reduction reaction, Potentiostat-poised bioelectrochemical half-cell

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 498869
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/498869
ISSN: 0378-7753
PURE UUID: fe618706-a8b3-44ad-b2bf-c73f16dc175d
ORCID for Eileen Hao Yu: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6872-975X

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Date deposited: 04 Mar 2025 17:49
Last modified: 05 Mar 2025 03:17

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Contributors

Author: Edward M. Milner
Author: Keith Scott
Author: Ian M. Head
Author: Tom Curtis
Author: Eileen Hao Yu ORCID iD

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