Hydrogen production with carbon nanotubes based cathode catalysts in microbial electrolysis cells

BACKGROUND: Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) has been considered as a promising new technology for the production of bio-hydrogen from renewable biomass, but low-cost alternatives to typical cathode material (platinum) are needed. In this study, CNTs-based electrode alternatives to Pt were examined in a single-chamber membrane-free MEC. To the best of our knowledge, the use of carbon nanotube as the MEC cathode catalyst has not been reported so far. RESULTS: For all cathodes, hydrogen production rates increased in response to increase in voltage and the highest hydrogen production was achieved at 0.9 V. At an applied voltage of 0.9 V, MECs with Pt/MWNT cathodes obtained a hydrogen production rate of 1.42 m3 m−3 day−1 with a current density of 192 A m−3, a coulombic efficiency of 94%, a cathodic hydrogen recovery of 65%, and electrical energy efficiency based on electricity input of 126%. CONCLUSIONS: The Pt/MWNT cathode developed demonstrated better electrocatalytic activity than the MWNT cathode and achieved performance comparable with the Pt cathode in terms of hydrogen production rate. These results demonstrate the great potential of using carbon cloth with CNTs-based electrodes as a cathode material for MECs. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry

[1]  Debabrata Das,et al.  Hydrogen from biomass , 2003 .

[2]  M. Shaijumon,et al.  Platinum/multiwalled carbon nanotubes-platinum/carbon composites as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cell , 2006 .

[3]  C. M. Li,et al.  Carbon nanotube/polyaniline composite as anode material for microbial fuel cells , 2007 .

[4]  B. Logan.  Exoelectrogenic bacteria that power microbial fuel cells , 2009, Nature Reviews Microbiology.

[5]  M. Shaijumon,et al.  Synthesis of carbon nanotubes by pyrolysis of acetylene using alloy hydride materials as catalysts and their hydrogen adsorption studies , 2003 .

[6]  H. Hamelers,et al.  Performance of single chamber biocatalyzed electrolysis with different types of ion exchange membranes. , 2007, Water research.

[7]  Marie-France Favre,et al.  Outward electron transfer by Saccharomyces cerevisiae monitored with a bi‐cathodic microbial fuel cell‐type activity sensor , 2009, Yeast.

[8]  D. Lovley,et al.  Novel Mode of Microbial Energy Metabolism: Organic Carbon Oxidation Coupled to Dissimilatory Reduction of Iron or Manganese , 1988, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[9]  Y. Xing.  Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of Uniformly-Dispersed High Loading Pt Nanoparticles on Sonochemically-Treated Carbon Nanotubes , 2004 .

[10]  Jianguo Deng,et al.  Carbon nanotube–polyaniline hybrid materials , 2002 .

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

[12]  Robert C. Haddon,et al.  Proton exchange membrane fuel cells with carbon nanotube based electrodes , 2004 .

[13]  Nanqi Ren,et al.  Hydrogen production from proteins via electrohydrogenesis in microbial electrolysis cells. , 2010, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[14]  Uwe Schröder,et al.  Tungsten carbide as electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction in pH neutral electrolyte solutions , 2009 .

[15]  Hong Liu,et al.  Electrochemically assisted microbial production of hydrogen from acetate. , 2005, Environmental science & technology.

[16]  S H A O A N C H E N G, † H U B E R T U,et al.  Microbial Electrolysis Cells for High Yield Hydrogen Gas Production from Organic Matter , 2008 .

[17]  Hyung-Sool Lee,et al.  Significance of biological hydrogen oxidation in a continuous single-chamber microbial electrolysis cell. , 2010, Environmental science & technology.

[18]  Shemin Zhu,et al.  High yield hydrogen production in a single-chamber membrane-less microbial electrolysis cell. , 2010, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[19]  Bruce E Logan,et al.  Microbial electrolysis cells for high yield hydrogen gas production from organic matter. , 2008, Environmental science & technology.

[20]  Leong Ming Gan,et al.  Preparation and characterization of platinum-based electrocatalysts on multiwalled carbon nanotubes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells , 2002 .

[21]  Bruce E. Logan,et al.  The use of stainless steel and nickel alloys as low-cost cathodes in microbial electrolysis cells , 2009 .

[22]  L. Wang,et al.  Evaluation of low-cost cathode catalysts for high yield biohydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cell. , 2011, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[23]  Bruce E. Logan,et al.  Hydrogen production with nickel powder cathode catalysts in microbial electrolysis cells , 2010 .

[24]  Bruce E Logan,et al.  Hydrogen production in a single chamber microbial electrolysis cell lacking a membrane. , 2008, Environmental science & technology.

[25]  H. Hamelers,et al.  Principle and perspectives of hydrogen production through biocatalyzed electrolysis , 2006 .

[26]  Bruce E. Logan,et al.  Hydrogen production from cellulose in a two-stage process combining fermentation and electrohydrogenesis , 2009 .

[27]  Hong Liu,et al.  Hydrogen production in single-chamber tubular microbial electrolysis cells using non-precious-metal catalysts , 2009 .

[28]  Bernhard Schink,et al.  Cysteine-mediated reductive dissolution of poorly crystalline iron(III) oxides by Geobacter sulfurreducens. , 2002, Environmental science & technology.