Cellulose-fueled microbial fuel cells equipped with a bipolar membrane using hydrogen phosphate as the final electron acceptor

Abstract

Objectives: A bipolar membrane microbial fuel cell (bMFC) is used to generate electricity using cellulose in phosphate buffer solution as fuel, and the mechanism of electricity generation is elucidated from five reference experiments.

Results: The bMFC was operated for 20 days using cellulose as fuel and Cellulomonas fimi. In the first reference experiment, no microorganism was used. In the second experiment, a cation-exchange membrane was used instead of a bipolar membrane. In the third experiment, the bipolar membrane was used in the opposite orientation as in the main experiment. In the fourth experiment, D₂O was used instead of H₂O in the cathode chamber. In the final experiment, the tris-maleate buffer was used instead of a phosphate buffer. Sufficient power generation did not occur in either reference experiment.

Conclusions: The bMFC continuously generated electricity for 20 days, and elucidated H⁺ and OH^- react in bipolar membrane, where the counter cation of dihydrogen phosphate served as the final electron acceptor.

Keywords: Bipolar membrane; Cellulomonas fimi; Cellulose; Hydrogen phosphate; Microbial fuel cell.