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Microbial Fuel Cells 2018
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Microbial Fuel Cells 2018

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2018) | Viewed by 28168

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jung Rae Kim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Interests: biorefinery for bioenergy and platform chemicals; bioenergy production: biogas and bioelectricity, and synthesis of platform chemicals; metabolic engineering for electrochemically active microorganisms; novel microbially inspired useful resource recovery; environmental biotechnology and biochemical engineering; bioelectrochemical systems: enzyme- and whole-cell-based biosensors; design of environmentally sustainable systems and bioprocesses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid growth of world energy consumption and simultaneous waste discharge need more sustainable energy production and waste disposal/recovery technology. In this respect, microbial fuel cell and bioelectrochemical systems, have been highlighted to provide a platform for waste-to-energy and cost-efficient treatment. Microbial fuel cell technology has also contributed to both academia and industry through the development of breakthrough sustainable technologies, enabling cross- and multi-disciplinary approaches of microbiology, biotechnology, electrochemistry and bioprocess engineering.

Thus, to further spread the technologies and to help the implementation of microbial fuel cells, this Special Issue, entitled “Microbial Fuel Cells 2018”, was proposed for the international journal Energies, which is an SCIE journal (2017 IF = 2.262). This Special Issue mainly covers original research and studies related to the above-mentioned topic, including, but not limited to, bioelectricity generation, microbial electrochemistry, useful resource recovery, system and process design, and implementation of microbial fuel cell. Papers selected for this Special Issue are subject to a rigorous peer review procedure with the aim of rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments and applications.

I am writing to invite you to submit your original work to this Special Issue. I am looking forward to receiving your outstanding research outcomes.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jung Rae Kim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Microbial fuel cell and bioelectrochemical system
  • Bioprocess using a microbial fuel cell
  • Sustainable wastewater treatment
  • Bioelectricity generation
  • Microbial electrochemistry
  • Useful resource recovery by microbial fuel cell
  • System and process design of microbial fuel cell
  • Implementation of microbial fuel cell

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 3815 KiB  
Article
The Role of Natural Laccase Redox Mediators in Simultaneous Dye Decolorization and Power Production in Microbial Fuel Cells
by Priyadharshini Mani, Vallam Thodi Fidal Kumar, Taj Keshavarz, T. Sainathan Chandra and Godfrey Kyazze
Energies 2018, 11(12), 3455; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11123455 - 10 Dec 2018
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 5413
Abstract
Redox mediators could be used to improve the efficiency of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) by enhancing electron transfer rates and decreasing charge transfer resistance at electrodes. However, many artificial redox mediators are expensive and/or toxic. In this study, laccase enzyme was employed as [...] Read more.
Redox mediators could be used to improve the efficiency of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) by enhancing electron transfer rates and decreasing charge transfer resistance at electrodes. However, many artificial redox mediators are expensive and/or toxic. In this study, laccase enzyme was employed as a biocathode of MFCs in the presence of two natural redox mediators (syringaldehyde (Syr) and acetosyringone (As)), and for comparison, a commonly-used artificial mediator 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) was used to investigate their influence on azo dye decolorization and power production. The redox properties of the mediator-laccase systems were studied by cyclic voltammetry. The presence of ABTS and As increased power density from 54.7 ± 3.5 mW m−2 (control) to 77.2 ± 4.2 mW m−2 and 62.5 ± 3.7 mW m−2 respectively. The power decreased to 23.2 ± 2.1 mW m−2 for laccase with Syr. The cathodic decolorization of Acid orange 7 (AO7) by laccase indicated a 12–16% increase in decolorization efficiency with addition of mediators; and the Laccase-Acetosyringone system was the fastest, with 94% of original dye (100 mgL−1) decolorized within 24 h. Electrochemical analysis to determine the redox properties of the mediators revealed that syringaldehyde did not produce any redox peaks, inferring that it was oxidized by laccase to other products, making it unavailable as a mediator, while acetosyringone and ABTS revealed two redox couples demonstrating the redox mediator properties of these compounds. Thus, acetosyringone served as an efficient natural redox mediator for laccase, aiding in increasing the rate of dye decolorization and power production in MFCs. Taken together, the results suggest that natural laccase redox mediators could have the potential to improve dye decolorization and power density in microbial fuel cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Fuel Cells 2018)
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9 pages, 1389 KiB  
Article
Microbial Fuel Cell with Ni–Co Cathode Powered with Yeast Wastewater
by Paweł P. Włodarczyk and Barbara Włodarczyk
Energies 2018, 11(11), 3194; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11113194 - 17 Nov 2018
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3659
Abstract
Wastewater originating from the yeast industry is characterized by high concentration of pollutants that need to be reduced before the sludge can be applied, for instance, for fertilization of croplands. As a result of the special requirements associated with the characteristics of this [...] Read more.
Wastewater originating from the yeast industry is characterized by high concentration of pollutants that need to be reduced before the sludge can be applied, for instance, for fertilization of croplands. As a result of the special requirements associated with the characteristics of this production, huge amounts of wastewater are generated. A microbial fuel cell (MFC) forms a device that can apply wastewater as a fuel. MFC is capable of performing two functions at the same time: wastewater treatment and electricity production. The function of MFC is the production of electricity during bacterial digestion (wastewater treatment). This paper analyzes the possibility of applying yeast wastewater to play the function of a MFC (with Ni–Co cathode). The study was conducted on industrial wastewater from a sewage treatment plant in a factory that processes yeast sewage. The Ni–Co alloy was prepared by application of electrochemical method on a mesh electrode. The results demonstrated that the use of MFC coupled with a Ni–Co cathode led to a reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 90% during a period that was similar to the time taken for reduction in COD in a reactor with aeration. The power obtained in the MFC was 6.1 mW, whereas the volume of energy obtained during the operation of the cell (20 days) was 1.27 Wh. Although these values are small, the study found that this process can offer an additional level of wastewater treatment as a huge amount of sewage is generated in the process. This would provide an initial reduction in COD (and save the energy needed to aerate wastewater) as well as offer the means to generate electricity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Fuel Cells 2018)
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13 pages, 2908 KiB  
Article
Improved Microbial Electrolysis Cell Hydrogen Production by Hybridization with a TiO2 Nanotube Array Photoanode
by Ki Nam Kim, Sung Hyun Lee, Hwapyong Kim, Young Ho Park and Su-Il In
Energies 2018, 11(11), 3184; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11113184 - 16 Nov 2018
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5961
Abstract
A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) consumes the chemical energy of organic material producing, in turn, hydrogen. This study presents a new hybrid MEC design with improved performance. An external TiO2 nanotube (TNT) array photoanode, fabricated by anodization of Ti foil, supplies photogenerated [...] Read more.
A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) consumes the chemical energy of organic material producing, in turn, hydrogen. This study presents a new hybrid MEC design with improved performance. An external TiO2 nanotube (TNT) array photoanode, fabricated by anodization of Ti foil, supplies photogenerated electrons to the MEC electrical circuit, significantly improving overall performance. The photogenerated electrons help to reduce electron depletion of the bioanode, and improve the proton reduction reaction at the cathode. Under simulated AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW cm−2) the 28 mL hybrid MEC exhibits a H2 evolution rate of 1434.268 ± 114.174 mmol m−3 h−1, a current density of 0.371 ± 0.000 mA cm−2 and power density of 1415.311 ± 23.937 mW m−2, that are respectively 30.76%, 34.4%, and 26.0% higher than a MEC under dark condition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Fuel Cells 2018)
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12 pages, 1480 KiB  
Article
Separation of Acetate Produced from C1 Gas Fermentation Using an Electrodialysis-Based Bioelectrochemical System
by Jiyun Baek, Changman Kim, Young Eun Song, Hyeon Sung Im, Mutyala Sakuntala and Jung Rae Kim
Energies 2018, 11(10), 2770; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11102770 - 16 Oct 2018
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4039
Abstract
The conversion of C1 gas feedstock, such as carbon monoxide (CO), to useful platform chemicals has attracted considerable interest in industrial biotechnology. One conversion method is electrode-based electron transfer to microorganisms using bioelectrochemical systems (BESs). In this BES system, acetate is the predominant [...] Read more.
The conversion of C1 gas feedstock, such as carbon monoxide (CO), to useful platform chemicals has attracted considerable interest in industrial biotechnology. One conversion method is electrode-based electron transfer to microorganisms using bioelectrochemical systems (BESs). In this BES system, acetate is the predominant component of various volatile fatty acids (VFAs). To appropriately separate and concentrate the acetate produced, a BES-type electrodialysis cell with an anion exchange membrane was constructed and evaluated under various operational conditions, such as applied external current, acetate concentration, and pH. A high acetate flux of 23.9 mmol/m2∙h was observed under a −15 mA current in an electrodialysis-based bioelectrochemical system. In addition, the initial acetate concentration affected the separation efficiency and transportation rate. The maximum flux appeared at 48.6 mmol/m2∙h when the acetate concentration was 100 mM, whereas the effects of the initial pH of the anolyte were negligible. The acetate flux was 14.9 mmol/m2∙h when actual fermentation broth from BES-based CO fermentation was used as a catholyte. A comparison of the synthetic broth with the actual fermentation broth suggests that unknown substances and metabolites produced from the previous bioconversion process interfere with electrodialysis. These results provide information on the optimal conditions for the separation of VFAs produced by C1 gas fermentation through electrodialysis and a combination of a BES and electrodialysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Fuel Cells 2018)
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13 pages, 1025 KiB  
Article
Bioelectrochemical Enhancement of Biogenic Methane Conversion of Coal
by Dong-Mei Piao, Young-Chae Song and Dong-Hoon Kim
Energies 2018, 11(10), 2577; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11102577 - 27 Sep 2018
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3856
Abstract
This study demonstrated the enhancement of biogenic coal conversion to methane in a bioelectrochemical anaerobic reactor with polarized electrodes. The electrode with 1.0 V polarization increased the methane yield of coal to 52.5 mL/g lignite, which is the highest value reported to the [...] Read more.
This study demonstrated the enhancement of biogenic coal conversion to methane in a bioelectrochemical anaerobic reactor with polarized electrodes. The electrode with 1.0 V polarization increased the methane yield of coal to 52.5 mL/g lignite, which is the highest value reported to the best of our knowledge. The electrode with 2.0 V polarization shortened the adaptation time for methane production from coal, although the methane yield was slightly less than that of the 1.0 V electrode. After the methane production from coal in the bioelectrochemical reactor, the hydrolysis product, soluble organic residue, was still above 3600 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L. The hydrolysis product has a substrate inhibition effect and inhibited further conversion of coal to methane. The dilution of the hydrolysis product mitigates the substrate inhibition to methane production, and a 5.7-fold dilution inhibited the methane conversion rate by 50%. An additional methane yield of 55.3 mL/g lignite was obtained when the hydrolysis product was diluted 10-fold in the anaerobic toxicity test. The biogenic conversion of coal to methane was significantly improved by the polarization of the electrode in the bioelectrochemical anaerobic reactor, and the dilution of the hydrolysis product further improved the methane yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Fuel Cells 2018)
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12 pages, 2710 KiB  
Article
Novel Analytical Microbial Fuel Cell Design for Rapid in Situ Optimisation of Dilution Rate and Substrate Supply Rate, by Flow, Volume Control and Anode Placement
by Jiseon You, John Greenman and Ioannis Ieropoulos
Energies 2018, 11(9), 2377; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11092377 - 9 Sep 2018
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3903
Abstract
A new analytical design of continuously-fed microbial fuel cell was built in triplicate in order to investigate relations and effects of various operating parameters such as flow rate and substrate supply rate, in terms of power output and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal [...] Read more.
A new analytical design of continuously-fed microbial fuel cell was built in triplicate in order to investigate relations and effects of various operating parameters such as flow rate and substrate supply rate, in terms of power output and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency. This novel design enables the microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems to be easily adjusted in situ by changing anode distance to the membrane or anodic volume without the necessity of building many trial-and-error prototypes for each condition. A maximum power output of 20.7 ± 1.9 µW was obtained with an optimal reactor configuration; 2 mM acetate concentration in the feedstock coupled with a flow rate of 77 mL h−1, an anodic volume of 10 mL and an anode electrode surface area of 70 cm2 (2.9 cm2 projected area), using a 1 cm anode distance from the membrane. COD removal almost showed the reverse pattern with power generation, which suggests trade-off correlation between these two parameters, in this particular example. This novel design may be most conveniently employed for generating empirical data for testing and creating new MFC designs with appropriate practical and theoretical modelling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Fuel Cells 2018)
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