Exploring Providencia rettgeri for application to eco-friendly paper based microbial fuel cell

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Microbiology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer a sustainable energy source.
• Improving MFC stability and efficiency is crucial for practical applications.
• Identifying novel redox mediators can enhance MFC performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stable, small-sized microbial fuel cell (MFC).
• To investigate the potential of Providencia rettgeri as an electroactive bacterium.
• To identify and utilize a novel redox mediator for MFC applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a paper-based proton exchange membrane MFC.
• Isolation and identification of Providencia rettgeri using 16S rRNA sequencing.
• Electrochemical analysis (chronoamperometry, cyclic voltammetry) and MALDI-TOF, UV-Vis spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Achieved improved MFC stability of 40 days.
• Identified folate (vitamin B9) synthesized by Providencia rettgeri as a redox mediator.
• Demonstrated an MFC with 787.9 mV open circuit voltage and power density of 5.02 W/m³.
• Assembled MFCs generated 1.5 V to power an LED.

Conclusions:

• Paper-based MFCs with agarose-embedded membranes offer enhanced stability.
• Providencia rettgeri and its synthesized folate represent a novel system for MFCs.
• This MFC technology shows promise for powering small electronic devices.