Xerogel based catalyst for improved cathode performance in microbial fuel cells.

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are limited by cathode reduction reactions affecting power density.
• Developing efficient cathode catalysts is crucial for enhancing MFC performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate a novel catalyst for microbial fuel cell cathodes.
• To investigate the catalytic activity of iron- and nitrogen-doped carbon xerogel modified with graphene oxide (CXFeNGO).

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of CXFeNGO catalyst.
• Characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).
• Electrocatalytic activity assessment via cyclic voltammetry (CV).
• Performance evaluation in an MFC setup.

Main Results:

• The CXFeNGO catalyst demonstrated enhanced catalytic activity.
• MFCs with the CXFeNGO cathode achieved a maximum power density of 176.5 mW m⁻², a 26.8% increase over plain graphite.
• Optimizing catholyte pH to 12 further boosted power density to 207 mW m⁻², a 48.6% improvement.

Conclusions:

• The developed CXFeNGO catalyst is highly efficient for MFC cathodes.
• The catalyst significantly improves MFC power density.
• Alkaline conditions further enhance the performance of the CXFeNGO-modified MFC.