Cathodic-limitations-in-microbial-fuel-cells

JournalofPowerSources180(2008)683–694ContentslistsavailableatScienceDirectJournalofPowerSourcesjournalhomepage:www.elsevier.com/locate/jpowsourReviewCathodiclimitationsinmicrobialfuelcells:AnoverviewHamidRismani-Yazdia,∗,SarahM.Carverb,AnnD.Christya,OlliH.Tuovinenb,caDepartmentofFood,AgriculturalandBiologicalEngineering,OhioStateUniversity,590WoodyHayesDrive,Columbus,OH43210,UnitedStatesbDepartmentofMicrobiology,OhioStateUniversity,484W12thAvenue,Columbus,OH43210,UnitedStatescDepartmentofChemistryandBioengineering,TampereUniversityofTechnology,P.O.Box541,FI-33101Tampere,FinlandarticleinfoArticlehistory:Received23January2008Receivedinrevisedform18February2008Accepted19February2008Availableonline2March2008Keywords:MicrobialfuelcellCathodiclimitationActivationlossesOhmiclossesMasstransportlossesSubstratecrossoverabstractMicrobialfuelcells(MFCs)areapromisingtechnologyforsustainableproductionofalternativeenergyandwastetreatment.Theperformanceofmicrobialfuelcellsisseverelyaffectedbylimitationsbasedonirreversiblereactionsandprocessesintheanodeandthecathodecompartments.ThepurposeofthispaperistoreviewthecathodiclimitationsMFCsandprovideanoverviewoncathodicactivation,ohmicandmasstransportlossesandsubstratecrossover.Recentstudiesthathaveaddressedtheselimitationsandexploredapproachesforimprovementarealsodiscussed.MFCsstillfacemanychallengesbutwithconsistentadvances,especiallywithrespecttothecathode,performancecancontinuetoimprove.©2008ElsevierB.V.Allrightsreserved.Contents1.Introduction.6842.Cathodiclimitations6852.1.Activationlosses.6852.2.Ohmiclosses.6852.3.Masstransportlosses...6853.Reducingcathodicactivationlosses6863.1.Mediators6863.2.Catalysts.6873.2.1.Metal-basedcatalysts..6873.2.2.Biocatalysts6873.3.Cathodesurfacearea6883.4.Operationalconditions..6884.Reducingcathodicohmiclosses6894.1.Catholyte.6894.2.Membrane...6894.3.Electrode-spacing...6915.Reducingcathodicmasstransportlosses...6925.1.Oxidantconcentration...6925.2.Cathodeelectrodedesign...6925.3.Cathodecompartmentdes