Enhancing microbial fuel cell performance: A study on carbon cloth/TiO2 and carbon cloth/CuO electrodes

Abstract

This study confirmed the efficacy of modified electrode microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in removing chemical oxygen demand (COD) and generating electricity using wastewater from industrial meat processing. The findings of linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) demonstrated that applying CuO particles to carbon cloth (CC) significantly reduced the charge transfer resistance, resulting in improved electrochemical performance. In the batch experiment, the MFCs were conducted by applying different electrodes and Nafion-117 as a proton exchange membrane (PEM). X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses were performed to study the development of metal oxide on the electrode surface. The MFC operating with the CC/CuO electrode achieved a maximum COD removal (74.6%), which was attained at the peak power output of 82.56 mW/m² and the greatest current density of 213.33 mA/m², as indicated by the polarization curve data. In light of these findings, coating CuO on the CC anode promotes electron transfer, enhances the electrode's conductivity and increases its electrochemical surface area. In summary, the findings of this study hold significant implications for sustainable electricity production and remarkable effects on environmental quality, highlighting the strategic importance of the research approach and outputs in addressing global energy and environmental challenges.