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Updated: Dec 26, 2025

Characterizing Electron Transport through Living Biofilms
Published on: June 1, 2018
Bifunctional cathode using a biofilm and Pt/C catalyst for simultaneous electricity generation and nitrification in
Xiaojun Jin1, Nuan Yang1, Yuan Liu1
1CAS Key Laboratory of Reservoir Aquatic Environment, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China.
Abstract:
Biofouling frequently causes catalyst deterioration at the cathode of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). A biofilm-covered Pt/C cathode (BPC) was fabricated via in situ cultivation of a biofilm on a Pt/C cathode (PC) in a dual-chambered MFC, which enables effective removal of NH4+-N and copious generation of electricity. Experimental results show 99% NH4+-N removal by the nitrifying bacteria that constitute 35.7% of all microorganisms on the BPC and a maximum BPC-MFC power density of 0.97 W/m2, which is comparable to that of PC-MFCs (0.99 W/m2). BPC biofilm size is restricted by the limited amount of organic material in the cathode chamber, which constrains the biomass to less than 0.3 g protein /m2. The bifunctional-cathode equipped MFC shows great promise as an energy-saving technology for wastewater treatment in the future.
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