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Conductive Geopolymers as Low-Cost Electrode Materials for Microbial Fuel Cells

Zhang, Shifan ; Schuster, Jürgen ; Frühauf-Wyllie, Hanna ; Arat, Serkan ; Yadav, Sandeep ; Schneider, Jörg J. ; Stöckl, Markus ; Ukrainczyk, Neven ; Koenders, Eddie (2022)
Conductive Geopolymers as Low-Cost Electrode Materials for Microbial Fuel Cells.
In: ACS Omega, 2022, 6 (43)
doi: 10.26083/tuprints-00021248
Article, Secondary publication, Publisher's Version

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Item Type: Article
Type of entry: Secondary publication
Title: Conductive Geopolymers as Low-Cost Electrode Materials for Microbial Fuel Cells
Language: English
Date: 2022
Place of Publication: Darmstadt
Year of primary publication: 2022
Publisher: American Chemical Society
Journal or Publication Title: ACS Omega
Volume of the journal: 6
Issue Number: 43
DOI: 10.26083/tuprints-00021248
Corresponding Links:
Origin: Secondary publication via sponsored Golden Open Access
Abstract:

Geopolymer (GP) inorganic binders have a superior acid resistance compared to conventional cement (e.g., Portland cement, PC) binders, have better microbial compatibility, and are suitable for introducing electrically conductive additives to improve electron and ion transfer properties. In this study, GP–graphite (GPG) composites and PC–graphite (PCG) composites with a graphite content of 1–10 vol % were prepared and characterized. The electrical conductivity percolation threshold of the GPG and PCG composites was around 7 and 8 vol %, respectively. GPG and PCG composites with a graphite content of 8 to 10 vol % were selected as anode electrodes for the electrochemical analysis in two-chamber polarized microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Graphite electrodes were used as the positive control reference material. Geobacter sulfurreducens was used as a biofilm-forming and electroactive model organism for MFC experiments. Compared to the conventional graphite anodes, the anode-respiring biofilms resulted in equal current production on GPG composite anodes, whereas the PCG composites showed a very poor performance. The largest mean value of the measured current densities of a GPG composite used as anodes in MFCs was 380.4 μA cm⁻² with a standard deviation of 129.5 μA cm⁻². Overall, the best results were obtained with electrodes having a relatively low Ohmic resistance, that is, GPG composites and graphite. The very first approach employing sustainable GPs as a low-cost electrode binder material in an MFC showed promising results with the potential to greatly reduce the production costs of MFCs, which would also increase the feasibility of MFC large-scale applications.

Status: Publisher's Version
URN: urn:nbn:de:tuda-tuprints-212482
Classification DDC: 500 Science and mathematics > 540 Chemistry
600 Technology, medicine, applied sciences > 660 Chemical engineering
Divisions: 13 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Sciences > Institute of Construction and Building Materials
DFG-Collaborative Research Centres (incl. Transregio) > Collaborative Research Centres > CRC 1487: Iron, upgraded!
Date Deposited: 12 May 2022 12:04
Last Modified: 23 Aug 2022 11:35
URI: https://tuprints.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/id/eprint/21248
PPN: 494695315
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