Power-generation-using-spinel-manganese–cobalt-oxide

Powergenerationusingspinelmanganese–cobaltoxideasacathodecatalystformicrobialfuelcellapplicationsMohamedMahmouda,⇑,TarekA.Gad-Allaha,K.M.El-Khatibb,FatmaEl-GoharyaaWaterPollutionResearchDepartment,NationalResearchCentre,El-TahrirSt.,Dokki,P.O.Box12311,Cairo,EgyptbChemicalEngineeringandPilot-PlantDepartment,NationalResearchCentre,El-TahrirSt.,Dokki,P.O.Box12311,Cairo,EgyptarticleinfoArticlehistory:Received19July2011Receivedinrevisedform26August2011Accepted29August2011Availableonline5September2011Keywords:MicrobialfuelcellsOxygenreductionreactionCathodecatalystManganese–cobaltoxidePowergenerationabstractThisstudyfocusedontheuseofspinelmanganese–cobalt(Mn–Co)oxide,preparedbyasolidstatereac-tion,asacathodecatalysttoreplaceplatinuminmicrobialfuelcells(MFCs)applications.SpinelMn–Cooxides,withanMn/Coatomicratiosof0.5,1,and2,werepreparedandexaminedinanaircathodeMFCswhichwasfedwithamolasses-ladensyntheticwastewaterandoperatedinbatchmode.AmongthethreeMn–Cooxidecathodesandafter300hofoperation,theMn–CooxidecatalystwithMn/Coatomicratioof2(MnCo-2)exhibitedthehighestpowergeneration113mW/m2atcellpotentialof279mV,whichwerelowerthanthoseforthePtcatalyst(148mW/m2and325mV,respectively).Thisstudyindi-catedthatusingspinelMn–Cooxidetoreplaceplatinumasacathodiccatalystenhancespowergenera-tion,increasescontaminantremoval,andsubstantiallyreducesthecostofMFCs.�2011ElsevierLtd.Allrightsreserved.1.IntroductionIncreasedeconomicgrowthandsocialdevelopmentareleadingtoalargegapbetweenenergydemandsandtheavailabilityoffos-silfuels.Currentmethodstoproduceenergyarenotsustainable,andconcernsaboutclimatechangeandglobalwarmingrequiredevelopingnewmethodsofenergyproductionusingrenewableandcarbon-neutralsources.Thedevelopmentofelectrogenicreac-torsbasedonmicrobialfuelcells(MFCs)representsanewap-proachforgeneratingelectricityfromwasteandbiomass(Loganetal.,2006;Rabaeyetal.,2005).Althoughtheconceptofelectricityproductionfrombacteriawasconceivednearlyacenturyago(Cohen,1931),onlyrecentlythetechnologyhasbeensuffici