AI Article Synopsis
- A new method for making air-cathodes combines activated carbon, a waterproof breathable membrane, and stainless steel mesh, lowering costs for bioelectrochemical systems.
- The best performing assembly, using polyurethane, showed a maximum power density of 2.03 W/m, surpassing the conventional method's 1.51 W/m.
- The microbial communities on anode and cathode biofilms were significantly different; Geobacter dominated anodes while Thauera and Pseudomonas were prevalent in cathodes, indicating that cathode type affects microbial composition.
Article Abstract
A novel method for fabricating air-cathodes was developed by assembling an activated carbon (AC) catalyst together with a waterproof breathable membrane (WBM) and stainless steel mesh (SSM) to reduce manufacturing costs of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs). WBMs made of different materials were tested in the assembly, including a hybrid of polypropylene and polyolefin (PPPO), polyethylene (PE), and polyurethane (PU), and compared against poly tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based cathodes. Results showed that the maximum power density of the activated carbon-stainless steel mesh-polyurethane (AC@SSM/PU) assembly was 2.03 W/m while that of conventional carbon cloth cathode assembly (Pt@CC/PTFE) was 1.51 W/m. Compared to conventional cathode fabrication, AC@SSM/PU had a much lower cost and simpler manufacturing process. Illumina Miseq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons indicated that microbiomes were substantially different between anode and cathode biofilms. There was also a difference in the community composition between different cathode biofilms. The predominant population in the anode biofilms was Geobacter (38-75% relative abundance), while Thauera and Pseudomonas dominated the cathode biofilms. The results demonstrated that different types of air-cathodes influenced the microbial community assembly on the electrodes.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142281 | DOI Listing |
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