Home > Press > Silver nanoparticles boost performance of microbial fuel cells
Abstract:
Coating Shewanella bacteria with silver nanoparticles greatly boosts the performance of biofilm-based microbial fuel cells, researchers report. It achieves this effect by improving the transfer of electrons from the microbe to graphene electrodes in the fuel cells.
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) use bacteria to directly convert the chemical energy stored in organic matter to electricity by harvesting the energy generated through metabolism with electrodes. Since MFCs can use a wide range of organic fuels to create electricity, the technology is attractive for renewable power generation from biomass and wastewater treatment. Among the bacteria used to power these systems, Shewanella species are particularly well-suited for the role and have been extensively studied. However, despite considerable efforts to improve these systems, current Shewanella MFCs often suffer from low current and power densities largely limited by the inefficient transfer of electrons between the microbe and the anode. Here, Bocheng Cao and colleagues report a novel strategy for boosting the performance of Shewanella MFCs. Cao et al. found that when the bacteria are placed on a reduced graphene oxide/silver nanoparticle (rGO/Ag) anode, silver nanoparticles become associated with their cellular membranes, greatly enhancing their electron-transfer efficiency. According to the authors, the resulting MFCs have a maximum current density of 3.85 milliamperes per square centimeter, a power density of 6.6 watts per meter squared, and a coulombic efficiency of 81%, all of which are considerably higher than other MFCs reported to date. “The optimized electron extraction and high CE reported by Cao et al. showcases that knowledge of molecular mechanisms of bacterial electron transfer can aid in designing microbial electrochemical technologies,” write Erin Gaffney and Shelley Minteer in a related Perspective.
####
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
Science Press Package Team
American Association for the Advancement of Science/AAAS
Expert Contacts
Xiangfeng Duan
University of California, Los Angeles/California NanoSystems Institute
Yu Huang
University of California, Los Angeles/California NanoSystems Institute
Shelley Minteer
University of Utah
Copyright © American Association for the Advancement of Science
If you have a comment, please Contact us.Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Related News Press |
News and information
Simulating magnetization in a Heisenberg quantum spin chain April 5th, 2024
NRL charters Navy’s quantum inertial navigation path to reduce drift April 5th, 2024
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
2 Dimensional Materials
NRL discovers two-dimensional waveguides February 16th, 2024
'Sudden death' of quantum fluctuations defies current theories of superconductivity: Study challenges the conventional wisdom of superconducting quantum transitions January 12th, 2024
Possible Futures
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
With VECSELs towards the quantum internet Fraunhofer: IAF achieves record output power with VECSEL for quantum frequency converters April 5th, 2024
Discoveries
Chemical reactions can scramble quantum information as well as black holes April 5th, 2024
New micromaterial releases nanoparticles that selectively destroy cancer cells April 5th, 2024
Utilizing palladium for addressing contact issues of buried oxide thin film transistors April 5th, 2024
Announcements
NRL charters Navy’s quantum inertial navigation path to reduce drift April 5th, 2024
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Simulating magnetization in a Heisenberg quantum spin chain April 5th, 2024
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
Energy
Development of zinc oxide nanopagoda array photoelectrode: photoelectrochemical water-splitting hydrogen production January 12th, 2024
Shedding light on unique conduction mechanisms in a new type of perovskite oxide November 17th, 2023
Inverted perovskite solar cell breaks 25% efficiency record: Researchers improve cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different November 17th, 2023
The efficient perovskite cells with a structured anti-reflective layer – another step towards commercialization on a wider scale October 6th, 2023
Automotive/Transportation
Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024
Tests find no free-standing nanotubes released from tire tread wear September 8th, 2023
Fuel Cells
Current and Future Developments in Nanomaterials and Carbon Nanotubes: Applications of Nanomaterials in Energy Storage and Electronics October 28th, 2022
The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
Premium Products | ||
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||