A Single-Use Paper-Shaped Microbial Fuel Cell for Rapid Aqueous Biosensing

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Biotechnology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional chamber-based microbial fuel cells (MFCs) suffer from high ohmic resistance, large size, and slow startup.
• Developing compact and efficient MFCs is crucial for practical bioenergy applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate paper-shaped microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as an alternative to conventional designs.
• To address the limitations of high resistance, large volume, and delayed start-up in MFCs.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of paper-shaped MFCs using a porous carbon anode, Ag2O-coated carbon cathode, and PVDF separator.
• Utilizing rapid inoculation by filtration for quick MFC activation.
• Characterizing cathode performance and MFC power output.

Main Results:

• The Ag2O-coated cathode exhibited a low overpotential (0.06 V at 1 mA) compared to Pt-air cathodes.
• Achieved an instantaneous power density of 92 mW m(-2) with low internal resistance (162 Ω).
• Demonstrated a linear relationship between integrated current and microbial concentration within 30 minutes.

Conclusions:

• Paper-shaped MFCs offer a promising solution to overcome traditional MFC limitations.
• The developed MFCs exhibit rapid start-up and efficient power generation.
• Microbial concentration is a key factor influencing MFC performance in this design.