Polymer separators for high-power, high-efficiency microbial fuel cells

Guang Chen; Bin Wei; Yong Luo; Bruce E. Logan; Michael A. Hickner

doi:10.1021/am302301t

Polymer separators for high-power, high-efficiency microbial fuel cells

Guang Chen, Bin Wei, Yong Luo, Bruce E. Logan, Michael A. Hickner

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) separators showed higher Coulombic efficiencies (94%) and power densities (1220 mW m^-2) than cells with porous glass fiber separators or reactors without a separator after 32 days of operation. These remarkable increases in both the coublomic efficiency and the power production of the microbial fuel cells were made possible by the separator's unique characteristics of fouling mitigation of the air cathode without a large increase in ionic resistance in the cell. This new type of polymer gel-like separator design will be useful for improving MFC reactor performance by enabling compact cell designs.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	6454-6457
Number of pages	4
Journal	ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Volume	4
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/am302301t
State	Published - Dec 26 2012

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Materials Science

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10.1021/am302301t

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abstract = "Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) separators showed higher Coulombic efficiencies (94%) and power densities (1220 mW m-2) than cells with porous glass fiber separators or reactors without a separator after 32 days of operation. These remarkable increases in both the coublomic efficiency and the power production of the microbial fuel cells were made possible by the separator's unique characteristics of fouling mitigation of the air cathode without a large increase in ionic resistance in the cell. This new type of polymer gel-like separator design will be useful for improving MFC reactor performance by enabling compact cell designs.",

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T1 - Polymer separators for high-power, high-efficiency microbial fuel cells

AU - Chen, Guang

AU - Wei, Bin

AU - Luo, Yong

AU - Logan, Bruce E.

AU - Hickner, Michael A.

PY - 2012/12/26

Y1 - 2012/12/26

N2 - Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) separators showed higher Coulombic efficiencies (94%) and power densities (1220 mW m-2) than cells with porous glass fiber separators or reactors without a separator after 32 days of operation. These remarkable increases in both the coublomic efficiency and the power production of the microbial fuel cells were made possible by the separator's unique characteristics of fouling mitigation of the air cathode without a large increase in ionic resistance in the cell. This new type of polymer gel-like separator design will be useful for improving MFC reactor performance by enabling compact cell designs.

AB - Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) separators showed higher Coulombic efficiencies (94%) and power densities (1220 mW m-2) than cells with porous glass fiber separators or reactors without a separator after 32 days of operation. These remarkable increases in both the coublomic efficiency and the power production of the microbial fuel cells were made possible by the separator's unique characteristics of fouling mitigation of the air cathode without a large increase in ionic resistance in the cell. This new type of polymer gel-like separator design will be useful for improving MFC reactor performance by enabling compact cell designs.

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JO - ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

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ER -

Polymer separators for high-power, high-efficiency microbial fuel cells

Abstract

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