An MEC-MFC-Coupled System for Biohydrogen Production from Acetate

Sun, Min; Sheng, Guo‐Ping; Zhang, Lei; Xia, Changrong; Mu, Zhe-Xuan; Liu, Xianwei; Wang, Hualin; Yu, Han‐Qing; Qi, Rong; Yu, Tao; Yang, Min

doi:10.1021/es801513c

Cited by 195 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The electric energy generated by MFCs is in situ utilized and the coupled system needs no extra electricity supply. Besides, it saves the cost for electricity storage and power loss [23]. The serial connection of MFCs greatly increased the input voltage of the MEC and the hydrogen production rate [24].…”

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confidence: 99%

Removal of Sulfide and Production of Methane from Carbon Dioxide in Microbial Fuel Cells–Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MFCs–MEC) Coupled System

Jiang

2014

Appl Biochem Biotechnol

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Removal of sulfide and production of methane from carbon dioxide in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) at the applied voltage of 0.7 V was achieved using sulfide and organic compound as electron donors. The removal rate of sulfide was 72 % and the Faraday efficiency of methane formation was 57 % within 70 h of operation. Microbial fuel cell (MFCs) can be connected in series to supply power and drive the reaction in MECs. Removal of sulfide and production of methane from carbon dioxide in MFCs-MEC coupled system was achieved. The sulfide removal rates were 62.5, 60.4, and 57.7 %, respectively, in the three anode compartments. Methane accumulated at a rate of 0.354 mL h −1 L −1 and the Faraday efficiency was 51 %. Microbial characterization revealed that the biocathode of MEC was dominated by relatives of Methanobacterium palustre, Methanobrevibacter arboriphilus, and Methanocorpusculum parvum. This technology has a potential for wastewater treatments and biofuel production from carbon dioxide.

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confidence: 99%

Removal of Sulfide and Production of Methane from Carbon Dioxide in Microbial Fuel Cells–Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MFCs–MEC) Coupled System

Jiang

2014

Appl Biochem Biotechnol

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“…The inorganic and organic products released are referred to as electrofuels if they can be used as fuels in engines or fuel cells. Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) have been used to produce gaseous electrofuels such as hydrogen and methane (9,32,38). Other bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) have produced ethanol and butanol (28,34).…”

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Enrichment of Microbial Electrolysis Cell Biocathodes from Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell Bioanodes

Pisciotta

Zaybak

Call

et al. 2012

Appl Environ Microbiol

173

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Electron-accepting (electrotrophic) biocathodes were produced by first enriching graphite fiber brush electrodes as the anodes in sediment-type microbial fuel cells (sMFCs) using two different marine sediments and then electrically inverting the anodes to function as cathodes in two-chamber bioelectrochemical systems (BESs). Electron consumption occurred at set potentials of ؊439 mV and ؊539 mV (versus the potential of a standard hydrogen electrode) but not at ؊339 mV in minimal media lacking organic sources of energy. Results at these different potentials were consistent with separate linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) scans that indicated enhanced activity (current consumption) below only ca. ؊400 mV. MFC bioanodes not originally acclimated at a set potential produced electron-accepting (electrotrophic) biocathodes, but bioanodes operated at a set potential (؉11 mV) did not. CO 2 was removed from cathode headspace, indicating that the electrotrophic biocathodes were autotrophic. Hydrogen gas generation, followed by loss of hydrogen gas and methane production in one sample, suggested hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. There was abundant microbial growth in the biocathode chamber, as evidenced by an increase in turbidity and the presence of microorganisms on the cathode surface. Clone library analysis of 16S rRNA genes indicated prominent sequences most similar to those of Eubacterium limosum (Butyribacterium methylotrophicum), Desulfovibrio sp. A2, Rhodococcus opacus, and Gemmata obscuriglobus. Transfer of the suspension to sterile cathodes made of graphite plates, carbon rods, or carbon brushes in new BESs resulted in enhanced current after 4 days, demonstrating growth by these microbial communities on a variety of cathode substrates. This report provides a simple and effective method for enriching autotrophic electrotrophs by the use of sMFCs without the need for set potentials, followed by the use of potentials more negative than ؊400 mV.

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“…Thus, additional energy (∼0.11 V in theory) is needed to overcome this thermodynamic threshold, and an external voltage of >0.4 V is typically applied to MECs (4). This additional energy could be provided by a renewable source of energy, such as solar (5), wind, or waste organic matter (6). However, no method has yet been developed to directly achieve H 2 production in one process without an external voltage supply.…”

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Hydrogen production from inexhaustible supplies of fresh and salt water using microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cells

Kim

Logan

2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

167

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There is a tremendous source of entropic energy available from the salinity difference between river water and seawater, but this energy has yet to be efficiently captured and stored. Here we demonstrate that H 2 can be produced in a single process by capturing the salinity driven energy along with organic matter degradation using exoelectrogenic bacteria. Only five pairs of seawater and river water cells were sandwiched between an anode, containing exoelectrogenic bacteria, and a cathode, forming a microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cell. Exoelectrogens added an electrical potential from acetate oxidation and reduced the anode overpotential, while the reverse electrodialysis stack contributed 0.5-0.6 V at a salinity ratio (seawater:river water) of 50. The H 2 production rate increased from 0.8 to 1.6 m 3 -H 2 ∕m 3 -anolyte/day for seawater and river water flow rates ranging from 0.1 to 0.8 mL∕ min. H 2 recovery, the ratio of electrons used for H 2 evolution to electrons released by substrate oxidation, ranged from 72% to 86%. Energy efficiencies, calculated from changes in salinities and the loss of organic matter, were 58% to 64%. By using a relatively small reverse electrodialysis stack (11 membranes), only ∼1% of the produced energy was needed for pumping water. Although Pt was used on the cathode in these tests, additional tests with a nonprecious metal catalyst (MoS 2 ) demonstrated H 2 production at a rate of 0.8 m 3 ∕m 3 ∕d and an energy efficiency of 51%. These results show that pure H 2 gas can efficiently be produced from virtually limitless supplies of seawater and river water, and biodegradable organic matter.electrohydrogenesis | microbial electrolysis cell | microbial fuel cell | renewable energy | sustainable energy E xoelectrogenic bacteria oxidize organic matter and can transfer electrons to electrically conductive materials such as graphite or metal, making it possible to convert waste organic matter into useful energy. In microbial fuel cells (MFCs), exoelectrogens on the anode, coupled with oxygen reduction at the cathode, can generate a potential as large as ∼0.8 V (open circuit; pH 7; 0.2 atm O 2 ), although less voltage (∼0.23 to 0.5 V) is generated in practice (1). Exoelectrogens can also be used to drive electrochemical H 2 production in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) (2, 3). However, the potential generated by substrate oxidation (−0.30 V vs. Standard Hydrogen Electrode; 1 g∕L acetate; pH 7) is not sufficient to drive H 2 evolution (−0.41 V vs. Standard Hydrogen Electrode at pH 7) (1). Thus, additional energy (∼0.11 V in theory) is needed to overcome this thermodynamic threshold, and an external voltage of >0.4 V is typically applied to MECs (4). This additional energy could be provided by a renewable source of energy, such as solar (5), wind, or waste organic matter (6). However, no method has yet been developed to directly achieve H 2 production in one process without an external voltage supply.Reverse electrodialysis (RED) holds great promise as a method for generat...

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An MEC-MFC-Coupled System for Biohydrogen Production from Acetate

Cited by 195 publications

References 26 publications

Removal of Sulfide and Production of Methane from Carbon Dioxide in Microbial Fuel Cells–Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MFCs–MEC) Coupled System

Removal of Sulfide and Production of Methane from Carbon Dioxide in Microbial Fuel Cells–Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MFCs–MEC) Coupled System

Enrichment of Microbial Electrolysis Cell Biocathodes from Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell Bioanodes

Hydrogen production from inexhaustible supplies of fresh and salt water using microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cells

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