• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.3726-3729
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• 2011

Biofilm formation is inevitable in a bioelectrochemical system in which microorganisms act as a sole biocatalyst. Cathodic biofilm (CBF) works as a double-edged sword in the performance of the air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Proton and oxygen crossover through the CBF are limited by the robust structure of extracellular polymeric substances, composition of available constituents and environmental condition from which the biofilm is formed. The MFC performance in terms of power, current and coulombic efficiency is influenced by the nature and origin of CBF. Development of CBF from different ecological environment while keeping the same anode inoculums, contributes additional charge transfer resistance to the total internal resistance, with increase in coulombic efficiency at the expense of power reduction. This study demonstrates that MFC operation conditions need to be optimized on the choice of initial inoculum medium that leads to the biofilm formation on the air cathode.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.297-301
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• 2021

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) convert chemical energy to electrical energy via electrochemically active microorganisms. The interactions between microbes and the surface of a carbon electrode play a vital role in capturing the respiratory electrons from bacteria. Therefore, improvements in the electrochemical and physicochemical properties of carbon materials are essential for increasing performance. In this study, a microwave and sulfuric acid treatment was used to modify the surface structure of graphite granules. The prepared expandable graphite granules (EGG) exhibited a 1.5 times higher power density than the unmodified graphite granules (1400 vs. 900 mW/m³). Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed improved physical and chemical characteristics of the EGG surface. These results suggest that physical and chemical surface modification using sulfuric acid and microwave heating improves the performance of electrode-based bioprocesses, such as MFCs.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.44-48
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• 2000

Microbial fuel cells comprising the microorganism P. vulgaris, thionin as a mediator, and various mono- and disaccharides in an anodic compartment have been developed. A cathodic compartment containing a Pt electrode and Fe$(CN)_6^{3-}$ was separated from an anode by the Nafion membrane. From absorbance-time measurements, it was found that the absorbance of thionin was not altered by the addition of P. vulgaris, even in the presence of sugars. However, thionin was effectively reduced when P. vulgaris was present. These results differ substantially from the case of safranine O, a phenazine-derivative, indicating that thionin takes up electrons during the metabolic oxidation processes of carbohydrates. Maximum fuel cell efficiency was observed at 37 $^{\circ}C$, optimum temperature for the growth of P. vulgaris, and 0.5 V cell voltage was obtained, which indicates that the metabolism of the microorganism directly affects the efficiency. Thionin concentration was closely related to cell performance. When the charging-discharging characteristics were tested with glucose, galactose, sucrose, maltose, and trehalose as carbon sources, galactose was found to give the highest coulombic efficiency. Cell performance was almost fully recovered with only small degradation when glucose and sucrose were used in the repetitive operation. Current was maintained nearly twice as long for sucrose than in the case of glucose.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.503-509
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• 2013

Electrochemical redox capacity of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) electrode is an important factor in the power density. This study was conducted to investigate the redox capacity of surface modified anode and cathode electrodes by measuring their conductivities. An anode electrode was modified with nitric acid and a cathode electrode was modified with heat treatment. The anode electrode modified with 20 % of the nitric acid concentration showed the highest conductivity of $6.2{\mu}S/cm/g$ and the maximum power density of $306.0mW/m^2$ when used in a MFC. The cathode electrode modified at $472^{\circ}C$ for 18 min showed the highest conductivity of $5.2{\mu}S/cm/g$ and the maximum power density of $276.20mW/m^2$ when used in a MFC. On the other hand, an MFC using both the electrodes showed the highest maximum power density of $408.2mW/m^2$. Meanwhile, a control MFC without modified electrodes generated very small voltage (0.014 mV), so the power density could not be measured.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.192-196
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• 2005

Abstract Oligotrophic microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were tested for the continuous monitoring of low biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) by using artificial wastewater, containing glucose and glutamate, as check solution. Ten times diluted trace mineral solution was used to minimize the background current level, which is generated from the oxidation of nitrilotriacetate used as a chelating agent. The feeding rate of 0.53 ml/min could increase the sensitivity from 0.16 to 0.43 ${\mu}$A/(mg BOD/l) at 0.15 ml/min. The dynamic linear range of the calibration curve was between 2.0 and 10.0 mg BOD/l, and the response time to the change of 2 mg BOD/l was about 60 min. The current signal from an oligotroph-type MFCs increased with the increase in salts concentration, and the salt effect could be eliminated by 50 mM phosphate buffer.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.225-231
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• 2014

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) and bioelectrochemical systems are novel bioprocesses which employ exoelectrogenic biofilm on electrode as a biocatalyst for electricity generation and various useful chemical production. Previous reports show that electrogenic biofilms of MFCs are time varying systems and dynamically interactive with the electrically conductive media (carbon paper as terminal electron acceptor). It has been reported that maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method can automatically control load by algorithm so that increase power generation and columbic efficiency. In this study, we developed logic based control strategy for external load resistance by using $LabVIEW^{TM}$ which increases the power production with using flat-plate MFCs and MPPT circuit board. The flat-plate MFCs inoculated with anaerobic digester sludge were stabilized with fixed external resistance from $1000{\Omega}$ to $100{\Omega}$. Automatic load control with MPPT started load from $52{\Omega}$ during 120 hours of operation. MPPT control strategy increased approximately 2.7 times of power production and power density (1.95 mW and $13.02mW/m^3$) compared to the initial values before application of MPPT (0.72 mW and $4.79mW/m^3$).

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.567-578
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• 2013

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a bio-electrochemical device that converts chemical energy in the chemical bonds in organic compounds to electrical energy through catalytic reactions of microorganisms under anaerobic conditions. Power density and Coulombic efficiency are significantly affected by the types of microbe in the anodic chamber of an MFC, configurations of the system and operating conditions. The achievable power output from MFC increased remarkably by modifying their designs such as the optimization of MFC configurations, the physical and chemical operating conditions, and the choice of biocatalysts. This article presents a critical review on the recent advances made in MFC research with the emphasis on MFC configurations, optimization of important operating parameters, performances and future applications of MFC.

• The Microorganisms and Industry
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.7-10
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• 1999

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.143-143
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• 2009

• Water for future
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.8-12
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• 2014