Design of Iron(II) Phthalocyanine-Derived Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts for High-Power-Density Microbial Fuel Cells

ChemSusChem. 2017 Aug 24;10(16):3243-3251. doi: 10.1002/cssc.201700851. Epub 2017 Aug 1.

Abstract

Iron(II) phthalocyanine (FePc) deposited onto two different carbonaceous supports was synthesized through an unconventional pyrolysis-free method. The obtained materials were studied in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in neutral media through incorporation in an air-breathing cathode structure and tested in an operating microbial fuel cell (MFC) configuration. Rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) analysis revealed high performances of the Fe-based catalysts compared with that of activated carbon (AC). The FePc supported on Black-Pearl carbon black [Fe-BP(N)] exhibits the highest performance in terms of its more positive onset potential, positive shift of the half-wave potential, and higher limiting current as well as the highest power density in the operating MFC of (243±7) μW cm-2 , which was 33 % higher than that of FePc supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (Fe-CNT(N); 182±5 μW cm-2 ). The power density generated by Fe-BP(N) was 92 % higher than that of the MFC utilizing AC; therefore, the utilization of platinum group metal-free catalysts can boost the performances of MFCs significantly.

Keywords: carbon; energy storage; iron; microbial fuel cells; oxygen reduction reaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bioelectric Energy Sources*
  • Drug Design*
  • Electrochemistry
  • Electrodes
  • Ferrous Compounds / chemistry*
  • Indoles / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Oxygen / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties

Substances

  • Ferrous Compounds
  • Indoles
  • iron phthalocyanine
  • Oxygen