Efficiency of flower-like δ-MnO2 cathode catalyst loading for power generation in microbial fuel cells

Among different phases of MnO2, δ-MnO2 is thought to be of special interest for electrochemical applications due to its large interlayer distance of ~7 Å. Here, the reasonable loading of δ-MnO2 catalyst at the cathode can consider as a vital factor influencing the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the efficiency of flower-like δ-MnO2 cathode catalyst loading for power generation in MFCs. For this, a series of MFCs with δ-MnO2 cathode catalyst at three different mass loadings (0.5, 1 and 1.5 mg/cm2) are performed. The δ-MnO2 catalyst characterize by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and Nitrogen adsorption-desorption. As a result, the MFCs with 1 mg δ-MnO2/cm2 catalyst cathode generate more power (144±4 mW/m2) than those with 0.5 (98±4 mW/cm2) and 1.5 (131±6 mW/cm2) mg/cm2 δ-MnO2 cathodes. These MFCs offered somewhat (4-7%) lower internal resistance than others. Overall, the flower-like δ-MnO2 with 1 mg/cm2 at the cathode can be more efficient for power generation in MFCs.

کلیدواژه ها:

Microbial fuel cell ، Cathode Catalyst loading ، δ-MnO2.