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Reduced graphene oxide modified activated carbon for improving power generation of air-cathode microbial fuel cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 August 2017

Yang Yang ,
Tianyu Liu Open the ORCID record for Tianyu Liu [Opens in a new window] ,
Hanyu Wang ,
Xun Zhu ,
Dingding Ye ,
Qiang Liao ,
Ke Liu ,
Shaowei Chen  and
Yat Li
Yang Yang
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, People’s Republic of China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano Systems for Aerospace, School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, People’s Republic of China; and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA
Tianyu Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA
Hanyu Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA
Xun Zhu*
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, People’s Republic of China
Dingding Ye
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, People’s Republic of China
Qiang Liao
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, People’s Republic of China
Ke Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA
Shaowei Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA
Yat Li*
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA
*
a)Address all correspondence to these authors. e-mail: [email protected]
b)e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Activated carbon (AC) has been widely used as catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Here we demonstrate a new method to improve the AC air-cathode by blending it with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). rGO sheets are first deposited on Ni foam and AC is then brushed onto it with controlled mass loading. rGO sheets not only improve the electrical conductivity of AC, but also provide a large number of ORR areas. Rotating ring disk electrode measurements reveal that the number of transferred electrons at rGO-AC cathode is 3.5, indicating the four-electron pathway is the dominant process. Significantly, the MFC with rGO-AC cathode delivers a maximum power density of 2.25 ± 0.05 W/m2, which is substantially higher than that of plain AC cathode (1.35 ± 0.07 W/m2) and those for other air-cathode MFCs using AC as ORR catalyst under the same mass loading.

Keywords

catalyticwaste managementbiological
Type
Invited Article
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 33 , Issue 9: Focus Issue: Porous Carbon and Carbonaceous Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage , 14 May 2018 , pp. 1279 - 1287
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Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2017 

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Footnotes

Contributing Editor: Teng Zhai

References

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