Electrochemical behavior of stainless steel anodes in membraneless microbial fuel cells

AISI 304 stainless steel was studied as cost-effective tough anodes in membraneless single chamber microbial fuel cells (SCMFCs) fed with wastewater and sodium acetate, and compared with traditional carbon cloth (CC) anodes in terms of power generation, electrochemical properties and corrosion behavior. The performances of anodic materials were evaluated using single electrode potentiodynamic polarization curves and SEM observations. The AISI 304 SS anode showed a more complex interaction between substrate and bacteria than CC anodes under the microaerophilic or anaerobic operative conditions. A strong correlation between anode and cathode productivities was demonstrated, and significantly influenced the power generation of SCMFCs. The central role of bacteria in the processes of oxygen depletion, power generation, and stainless steel corrosion was determined, and a possible rate-determining step was proposed in agreement with recent literature. AISI 304 SS localized corrosion was found only on a part of the anode where oxygen was still present (redox potential (ORP) higher than −300 mV vs. SCE). A completely anaerobic environment prevented stainless steel corrosion, without the pit formation throughout the whole experiments (2 months). These results revealed a potential use of AISI 304 SS as a cost-effective anodic material.

[1]  P. Cristiani,et al.  Relation of anodic and cathodic performance to pH variations in membraneless microbial fuel cells , 2013 .

[2]  G. Cheng,et al.  Localized corrosion behavior of 316L stainless steel in the presence of sulfate-reducing and iron-oxidizing bacteria , 2007 .

[3]  Benjamin Erable,et al.  Forming microbial anodes under delayed polarisation modifies the electron transfer network and decreases the polarisation time required. , 2012, Bioresource technology.

[4]  A. Bergel,et al.  Geobacter species enhances pit depth on 304L stainless steel in a medium lacking with electron donor , 2009 .

[5]  Claudio Bianchini,et al.  Catalysis for sustainable energy production. , 2009 .

[6]  Pierangela Cristiani,et al.  Bacterial DGGE fingerprints of biofilms on electrodes of membraneless microbial fuel cells , 2013 .

[7]  J. J. Rodríguez,et al.  Comparative study of the behaviour of AISI 304 SS in a natural seawater hopper, in sterile media and with SRB using electrochemical techniques and SEM , 2006 .

[8]  S. El-Enin,et al.  Electropolishing of AISI-304 stainless steel for protection against SRB biofilm , 2012 .

[9]  C. Santoro,et al.  Evaluation of Water Transport and Oxygen Presence in Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells with Carbon-Based Cathodes , 2013 .

[10]  U. Schröder,et al.  Stainless steel mesh supported nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers for binder-free cathode in microbial fuel cells. , 2012, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[11]  R. P. Frankenthal,et al.  Passivity of Metals , 1980 .

[12]  Derek R. Lovley,et al.  Application of cyclic voltammetry to investigate enhanced catalytic current generation by biofilm-modified anodes of Geobacter sulfurreducens strain DL1 vs. variant strain KN400 , 2011 .

[13]  B. Erable,et al.  First air-tolerant effective stainless steel microbial anode obtained from a natural marine biofilm. , 2009, Bioresource technology.

[14]  Claire Dumas,et al.  Electrochemical activity of Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms on stainless steel anodes , 2008 .

[15]  C. Clayton,et al.  Influence of Sulfate‐Reducing Bacteria on the Passivity of Type 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel , 1997 .

[16]  L. T. Angenent,et al.  Electric Power Generation from Municipal, Food, and Animal Wastewaters Using Microbial Fuel Cells , 2010 .

[17]  C. Santoro,et al.  Power generation from wastewater using single chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with platinum-free cathodes and pre-colonized anodes , 2012 .

[18]  Antonio Rinaldi,et al.  Engineering materials and biology to boost performance of microbial fuel cells: a critical review , 2008 .

[19]  C. Santoro,et al.  Cathodic and anodic biofilms in Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells. , 2013, Bioelectrochemistry.

[20]  Benjamin Erable,et al.  Marine aerobic biofilm as biocathode catalyst. , 2010, Bioelectrochemistry.

[21]  Baikun Li,et al.  Effects of gas diffusion layer (GDL) and micro porous layer (MPL) on cathode performance in microbia , 2011 .

[22]  W. Verstraete,et al.  Microbial phenazine production enhances electron transfer in biofuel cells. , 2005, Environmental science & technology.

[23]  Hubertus V M Hamelers,et al.  Microbial electrolysis cell with a microbial biocathode. , 2010, Bioelectrochemistry.

[24]  Bruce E Logan,et al.  High surface area stainless steel brushes as cathodes in microbial electrolysis cells. , 2009, Environmental science & technology.

[25]  B. Erable,et al.  Microbial catalysis of the oxygen reduction reaction for microbial fuel cells: a review. , 2012, ChemSusChem.

[26]  Pierangela Cristiani,et al.  Monitoring of electro-active biofilm in soil , 2008 .

[27]  N. Laycock,et al.  Pitting of Type 304 stainless steee in the presence of a biofilm containing sulphate reducing bacteria , 1998 .

[28]  I. Beech.  Corrosion of technical materials in the presence of biofilms: current understanding and state-of-the art methods of study , 2004 .

[29]  Hanxi Yang,et al.  The direct electrocatalysis of Escherichia coli through electroactivated excretion in microbial fuel cell , 2008 .