Voltage evolution and electrochemical behaviour of Soil microbial fuel cells operated in different quality soils

Influence of carbon-based cathodes on biofilm composition and electrochemical performance in soil microbial fuel cells

“…This trend has usually been observed by us with graphite felt cathodes, and an in-depth investigation on the related causes has been discussed in Ref. [ 56 ]. Despite the higher output voltage obtained, the performance of SMFC-GF was not stable, and large fluctuations were observed, especially during and after the second exponential increase.…”

Detection and Characterization of Electrogenic Bacteria from Soils

“…These PSMFCs were shown to provide continuous addition of carbon substances by photosynthesis to compensate for the loss of organic matter and subsequent decay of electrical production [11]. Other studies demonstrated that electrode spacing and the addition of external organic carbon can also optimize electrical output and electrogenic bacterial numbers [13,22,23]. Substrate addition to the SMFC to compensate for the loss of organic material was observed to be better applied when electricity generation was decreasing instead of having a continuous system [13,23].…”

“…Another possible solution to the depletion of organic matter during operational time is to add an external carbon source such as compost, cellulose, or glucose to replenish the organic materials lost during microbial oxidation [12]. In the SMFCs, two of the most important parameters affecting electricity generation are the types of microbes and soil chemical composition [7,[13][14][15]. Soil types and microbial dynamics can influence SMFC performance.…”

“…Agricultural SMFCs showed 17 times more electricity and 10 times higher respiration rates than forest SMFCs. High clay content has been shown to make soil less porous and permeable to oxygen diffusion from the cathode to the anode, optimizing the anaerobic conditions for the microbial communities in the anode [13]. SMFCs with high clay content demonstrated higher electrogenic activity and longer and more sustainable operational times [13].…”

“…High clay content has been shown to make soil less porous and permeable to oxygen diffusion from the cathode to the anode, optimizing the anaerobic conditions for the microbial communities in the anode [13]. SMFCs with high clay content demonstrated higher electrogenic activity and longer and more sustainable operational times [13]. Furthermore, SMFCs with high organic matter exhibited faster start-up times and higher electrogenic activity.…”