Platinum Nanoarrays Directly Grown onto a 3D-Carbon Felt Electrode as a Bifunctional Material for Garden Compost Microbial Fuel Cell

• Published in: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Vol. 168; no. 2; pp. 25501 - 25507
• Main Authors: Kosimaningrum, Widya Ernayati, Ouis, Mekhaissia, Holade, Yaovi, Buchari, Buchari, Noviandri, Indra, Kameche, Mostefa, Cretin, Marc, Innocent, Christophe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 01.02.2021; Electrochemical Society
• Subjects: air-breathing cathode; Bioelectrochemistry; Chemical Sciences; Electrocatalysis; Electrodeposition; Energy Conversion; microbial fuel cell
• ISSN: 0013-4651; 1945-7111
• DOI: 10.1149/1945-7111/abde7c

The practical implementation of air-breathing microbial fuel cell (MFC) is critically linked to the development of efficient materials as cathode and electrochemically active biofilm-based anode. In this contribution, we demonstrate the feasibility by decorating a 3D carbon felt electrode with Pt nanoarrays (CF@Pt) as a bifunctional electrode material as efficient garden compost bioanode and air-breathing cathode. Half-cell electrochemical characterizations reveal that the onset potential of the anode reaction negatively shifts of about 800 mV to reach −0.4 V vs Ag/AgCl after the growth of the biofilm onto CF@Pt. The investigation before and after the biofilm formation shows that Pt nanoarrays act as excellent electron relays, reducing significantly the charge transfer resistance. For MFC application (with a proton exchange membrane), the use of CF@Pt as bioanode’ scaffold and CF@Pt air-cathode enables a drastically enhanced power density of P max = 292.3 mW m −2 , and a high short-circuit current density j sc = 1.9 A m −2 .