High‐Performance Carbon Aerogel Air Cathodes for Microbial Fuel Cells. Issue 19 (11th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Xiaoyuan; He, Weihua; Zhang, Rufan; Wang, Qiuying; Liang, Peng; Huang, Xia; Logan, Bruce E.; Fellinger, Tim‐Patrick
• Is Part Of: ChemSusChem. Volume 9:Issue 19(2016:Oct.)
• Page Start: 2788
• Page End: 2795
• Publication Date: 2016-08-11
• Subjects: air cathode -- carbon -- catalysis -- microbial fuel cells -- renewable resources; Green chemistry -- Periodicals; Sustainable engineering -- Periodicals; Chemistry -- Periodicals; Chemical engineering -- Periodicals; 660
• DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201600590
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1864-5631

Abstract

Abstract: Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can generate electricity from the oxidation of organic substrates using anodic exoelectrogenic bacteria and have great potential for harvesting electric energy from wastewater. Improving oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance at a neutral pH is needed for efficient energy production. Here we show a nitrogen doped (≈4 wt%) ionothermal carbon aerogel (NDC) with a high surface area, large pore volume, and hierarchical porosity, with good electrocatalytic properties for ORR in MFCs. The MFCs using NDC air cathodes achieved a high maximum power density of 2300 mW m −2, which was 1.7 times higher than the most commonly used Pt/C air cathodes and also higher than most state‐of‐the‐art ORR catalyst air cathodes. Rotating disk electrode measurements verified the superior electrocatalytic activity of NDC with an efficient four‐electron transfer pathway ( n =3.9). These findings highlight NDC as a better‐performing and cost‐efficient catalyst compared with Pt/C, making it highly viable for MFC applications. Abstract : Carbon aerogel air cathode : A nitrogen‐doped ionothermal carbon aerogel (NDC) with a high surface area, large pore volume, and hierarchical porosity was prepared. The NDC showed excellent electrocatalytic performance for oxygen reduction at neutral pH. Microbial fuel cells using NDC air cathodes achieved a high maximum power density of 2300 mW m −2, 1.7 times higher than Pt/C air cathodes.