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Updated: Mar 3, 2026

Characterizing Electron Transport through Living Biofilms
Published on: June 1, 2018
Bioanode as a limiting factor to biocathode performance in microbial electrolysis cells
Swee Su Lim1, Eileen Hao Yu2, Wan Ramli Wan Daud3
1School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom; Fuel Cell Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Malaysia.
Abstract:
The bioanode is important for a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) and its robustness to maintain its catalytic activity affects the performance of the whole system. Bioanodes enriched at a potential of +0.2V (vs. standard hydrogen electrode) were able to sustain their oxidation activity when the anode potential was varied from -0.3 up to +1.0V. Chronoamperometric test revealed that the bioanode produced peak current density of 0.36A/m2 and 0.37A/m2 at applied potential 0 and +0.6V, respectively. Meanwhile hydrogen production at the biocathode was proportional to the applied potential, in the range from -0.5 to -1.0V. The highest production rate was 7.4L H2/(m2 cathode area)/day at -1.0V cathode potential. A limited current output at the bioanode could halt the biocathode capability to generate hydrogen. Therefore maximum applied potential that can be applied to the biocathode was calculated as -0.84V without overloading the bioanode.
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