Manganese-dioxide-as-a-new-cathode-catalyst-in-microbial-fuel-cells

JournalofPowerSources195(2010)2586–2591ContentslistsavailableatScienceDirectJournalofPowerSourcesjournalhomepage:www.elsevier.com/locate/jpowsourManganesedioxideasanewcathodecatalystinmicrobialfuelcellsXiangLia,BoxunHub,StevenSuibb,c,d,YuLeid,BaikunLia,∗aDepartmentofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineering,UniversityofConnecticut,Storrs,CT06269,UnitedStatesbInstituteofMaterialsScience,UniversityofConnecticut,Storrs,CT06269,UnitedStatescDepartmentofChemistry,UniversityofConnecticut,Storrs,CT06269,UnitedStatesdDepartmentofChemicalandBiomolecularEngineering,UniversityofConnecticut,Storrs,CT06269,UnitedStatesarticleinfoArticlehistory:Received23September2009Receivedinrevisedform28October2009Accepted29October2009Availableonline14November2009Keywords:MicrobialfuelcellsManganesedioxidesOctahedralmolecularsievesOxygenreductionreactionabstractThisstudyfocusedonmanganeseoxideswithacryptomelane-typeoctahedralmolecularsieve(OMS-2)structuretoreplaceplatinumasacathodecatalystinmicrobialfuelcells(MFCs).Undoped(ud-OSM-2)andthreecatalystsdopedwithcobalt(Co-OMS-2),copper(Cu-OMS-2),andcerium(Ce-OMS-2)toenhancetheircatalyticperformanceswereinvestigated.ThenovelOMS-2cathodeswereexaminedingranularactivatedcarbonMFC(GACMFC)withsodiumacetateastheanodereagentandoxygeninairasthecathodereagent.Theresultsshowedthatafter400hofoperation,theCo-OMS-2andCu-OMS-2exhibitedgoodcatalyticperformanceinanoxygenreductionreaction(ORR).ThevoltageoftheCo-OMS-2GACMFCwas217mV,andthepowerdensitywas180mWm−2.ThevoltageoftheCu-OMS-2GACMFCwas214mVandthepowerdensitywas165mWm−2.Theinternalresistance(Rin)oftheOMS-2GACMFCs(18±1�)wassimilartothatoftheplatinumGACMFCs(17�).Furthermore,thedegradationratesoforganicsubstratesintheOMS-2GACMFCsweretwicethoseintheplatinumGACMFCs,whichenhancetheirwastewatertreatmentefficiencies.ThisstudyindicatedthatusingOMS-2manganeseoxidestoreplaceplatinumasacathodiccatalystenhancespowergeneration,increasescontaminantremoval,andsubstantiallyreducesthecostofMFCs.PublishedbyElsevierB.V.1.IntroductionMicro