Microbial fuel cell using a novel Ionic-liquid-type membrane-cathode assembly with heterotrophic anodic denitrification for slurry treatment

Abstract

In this paper, microbial fuel cell technology with heterotrophic anodic denitrification, based on a new membrane-cathode assembly, was tested for slurry treatment and bioenergy production. Slurry is used due to its high chemical oxygen demand and a high content of nutrient compounds of nitrogen which can contaminate soil and water. The new membrane-cathode assembly systems were based on different ammonium and phosphonium cations combined with chloride, bistriflimide, phosphate, and phosphinate anions and a non-noble catalyst composed of copper and cobalt mixed-valence oxides. The influence of ionic liquids on the catalytic membrane was studied. The best membrane-cathode assembly was based on the ionic liquid catalyst [MTOA+][Cl−]-CoCu which achieved 65% of the energy reached with the Pt-Nafion® system. The [MTOA+][Cl−]-CoCu system improved the water purification parameter, reducing the COD by up to 35%, the concentration of nitrates by up to 26%, and the organic nitrogen by up to 70% during the experiments. This novel membrane-cathode system allows for easier manufacturing, lower costs, and simpler catalysts than conventionally used in microbial fuel cells.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Ioannis A. Ieropoulos: orcid.org/0000-0002-9641-5504

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