Sustainable Hypersaline Microbial Fuel Cells: Inexpensive Recyclable Polymer Supports for Carbon Nanotube Conductive Paint Anodes

Microbial fuel cells are an emerging technology for wastewatertreatment, but to be commercially viable and sustainable, theelectrode materials must be inexpensive, recyclable, and relia-ble. In this study,recyclable polymericsupports were exploredfor the development of anode electrodes to be applied insingle-chamber microbial fuel cells operated in field under hy-persalineconditions. The support was covered with acarbonnanotube (CNT) based conductive paint, and biofilms wereable to colonize the electrodes. The single-chamber microbialfuelcellswithPt-freecathodesdeliveredareproduciblepoweroutput after 15 days of operation to achieve12: 1mWm@2atacurrentdensity of 69 : 7mAm@2.The decrease of the per-formance in long-term experiments was mostly relate dtoinor-ganic prec ipitates on the cathodeelectrode anddid not affectthe performance of the anode,asshown by experiments inwhich the cathode was replaced and the fuel cell performancewas regenerated. The resultsofthese studies showthe feasibil-ityofpolymericsupportscoatedwithCNT-basedpaintformicrobial fuel cell applications