Zhong-Hua Tong

Nano-structured manganese oxide as a cathodic catalyst for enhanced oxygen reduction in a microbial fuel cell fed with a synthetic wastewater

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) provide new opportunities for the simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity generation. Enhanced oxygen reduction capacity of cost-effective metal-based catalysts in an air cathode is essential for the scale-up and commercialization of MFCs in the field of wastewater treatment. We demonstrated that a nano-structured MnO(x) material, prepared by an electrochemically deposition method, could be an effective catalyst for oxygen reduction in an MFC to generate electricity with the maximum power density of 772.8 mW/m(3) and remove organics when the MFC was fed with an acetate-laden synthetic wastewater. The nano-structured MnO(x) with the controllable size and morphology could be readily obtained with the electrochemical deposition method. Both morphology and manganese oxidation state of the nano-scale catalyst were largely dependent on the electrochemical preparation process, and they governed its catalytic activity and the cathodic oxygen reduction performance of the MFC accordingly. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry (CV) performed on each nano-structured material suggests that the MnO(x) nanorods had an electrochemical activity towards oxygen reduction reaction via a four-electron pathway in a neutral pH solution. This work provides useful information on the facile preparation of cost-effective cathodic catalysts in a controllable way for the single-chamber air-cathode MFC for wastewater treatment.

A gold-sputtered carbon paper as an anode for improved electricity generation from a microbial fuel cell inoculated with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Gold is among the highly conductive and stable materials, which are ideal anodes for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). However, previous studies have shown that bare gold surface is recalcitrant for the colonization of some exoelectrogens, e.g., Shewanella putrefacians. In this work, the problem regarding the poor bio-compatibility of gold as an anode material was sorted out through coupling it with carbon paper. A new composite anode material was fabricated through sputtering gold layer homogeneously on carbon paper matrix. Results of cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in Fe(CN)6(3-/4-) solution demonstrated better electrochemical performance of the carbon paper-gold (C-Au) composite than either carbon paper or bare gold, when they were used in MFCs. With Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 as the inoculum, the C-Au anode-based MFC produced total electric charges higher than the carbon-paper-anode-based MFC by 47%. The cyclic voltammetry analysis and the scanning electron microscopy observation showed that the MR-1 biofilm growth was accelerated when the carbon paper surface was sputtered with gold. Utilization of such a carbon paper-gold composite significantly enhanced the MFC performance.

Response of anaerobic granular sludge to single-wall carbon nanotube exposure

Rapid development and application of nanotechnology have introduced various nanopaticles, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), whose negative effects on aquatic organisms and cultured cells have been reported, into anaerobic wastewater treatment systems. In this study, the response of methanogenic sludge exposed to SWCNTs in anaerobic digestion process was investigated. Results show that SWCNTs, at a concentration up to 1000 mg/L, had no significant impact on the maximum methane yield. In contrast, they induced much faster substrate utilization and methane production rates. Scanning electron microscopy examination shows that more extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were excreted from the anaerobic sludge and closely interacted with SWCNTs. Such an interaction prevented nanoparticles from piercing into cells, and thus reduced their cytotoxicity. In the compact anaerobic granule structure, SWCNTs exposure enhanced the electrical conductance of the sludge, which might promote direct interspecies electron transfer among anaerobic fermentative bacteria and methanogens in the anaerobic digestion process. Our results provide useful information to understand the response of anaerobic microorganisms to CNTs in complex environmental matrix.

Degradation of Organic Pollutants in a Photoelectrocatalytic System Enhanced by a Microbial Fuel Cell

Photocatalytic oxidation mediated by TiO(2) is a promising oxidation process for degradation of organic pollutants, but suffers from the decreased photocatalytic efficiency attributed to the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Thus, a cost-effective supply of external electrons is an effective way to elevate the photocatalytic efficiency. Here we report a novel bioelectrochemical system to effectively reduce p-nitrophenol as a model organic pollutant with utilization of the energy derived from a microbial fuel cell. In such a system, there is a synergetic effect between the electrochemical and photocatalytic oxidation processes. Kinetic analysis shows that the system exhibits a more rapid p-nitrophenol degradation at a rate two times the sum of rates by the individual photocatalytic and electrochemical methods. The system performance is influenced by both external resistor and electrolyte concentration. Either a lower external resistor or a lower electrolyte concentration results in a higher p-nitrophenol degradation rate. This system has a potential for the effective degradation of refractory organic pollutants and provides a new way for utilization of the energy generated from conversion of organic wastes by microbial fuel cells.

Integration of a microbial fuel cell with activated sludge process for energy-saving wastewater treatment: Taking a sequencing batch reactor as an example†

In the research and application of microbial fuel cell (MFC), how to incorporate MFCs into current wastewater infrastructure is an importance issue. Here, we report a novel strategy of integrating an MFC into a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) to test the energy production and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. The membrane‐less biocathode MFC is integrated with the SBR to recover energy from the aeration in the form of electricity and thus reduce the SBR operation costs. In a lab‐scale integrated SBR‐MFC system, the maximum power production of the MFC was 2.34 W/m3 for one typical cycle and the current density reached up to 14 A/m3. As a result, the MFC contributed to the 18.7% COD consumption of the integrated system and also recovered energy from the aeration tank with a volume fraction of only 12% of the SBR. Our strategy provides a feasible and effective energy‐saving and ‐recovering solution to upgrade the existing activated sludge processes. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011; 108:1260–1267.

Microbial communities involved in electricity generation from sulfide oxidation in a microbial fuel cell.

Simultaneous electricity generation and sulfide removal can be achieved in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). In electricity harvesting from sulfide oxidation in such an MFC, various microbial communities are involved. It is essential to elucidate the microbial communities and their roles in the sulfide conversion and electricity generation. In this work, an MFC was constructed to enrich a microbial consortium, which could harvest electricity from sulfide oxidation. Electrochemical analysis demonstrated that microbial catalysis was involved in electricity output in the sulfide-fed MFC. The anode-attached and planktonic communities could perform catalysis independently, and synergistic interactions occurred when the two communities worked together. A 16S rRNA clone library analysis was employed to characterize the microbial communities in the MFC. The anode-attached and planktonic communities shared similar richness and diversity, while the LIBSHUFF analysis revealed that the two community structures were significantly different. The exoelectrogenic, sulfur-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing bacteria were found in the MFC anodic chamber. The discovery of these bacteria was consistent with the community characteristics for electricity generation from sulfide oxidation. The exoelectrogenic bacteria were found both on the anode and in the solution. The sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were present in greater abundance on the anode than in the solution, while the sulfate-reducing bacteria preferably lived in the solution.

Electricity generation from mixed volatile fatty acids using microbial fuel cells

Fermentative hydrogen production, as a process for clean energy recovery from organic wastewater, is limited by its low hydrogen yield due to incomplete conversion of substrates, with most of the fermentation products being volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Thus, further recovery of the energy from VFAs is expected. In this work, microbial fuel cell (MFC) was applied to recover energy in the form of electricity from mixed VFAs of acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Response surface methodology was adopted to investigate the relative contribution and possible interactions of the three components of VFAs. A stable electricity generation was demonstrated in MFCs after the enrichment of electrochemically active bacteria. Analysis showed that power density was more sensitive to the composition of mixed VFAs than coulombic efficiency. The electricity generation could mainly be attributed to the portion of acetate and propionate. However, the two components showed an antagonistic effect when propionate exceeded 19%, causing a decrease in coulombic efficiency. Butyrate was found to exert a negative impact on both power density and coulombic efficiency. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles revealed the enrichment of electrochemically active bacteria from the inoculum sludge. Proteobacteria (Beta-, Delta-) and Bacteroidetes were predominant in all VFA-fed MFCs. Shifts in bacterial community structures were observed when different compositions of VFA mixtures were used as the electron donor. The overall electron recovery efficiency may be increased from 15.7% to 27.4% if fermentative hydrogen production and MFC processes are integrated.

Evaluating the influence of process parameters on soluble microbial products formation using response surface methodology coupled with grey relational analysis

Soluble microbial products (SMPs) present a major part of residual chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the effluents from biological wastewater treatment systems, and the SMP formation is greatly influenced by a variety of process parameters. In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with grey relational analysis (GRA) method was used to evaluate the effects of substrate concentration, temperature, NH(4)(+)-N concentration and aeration rate on the SMP production in batch activated sludge reactors. Carbohydrates were found to be the major component of SMP, and the influential priorities of these factors were: temperature>substrate concentration > aeration rate > NH(4)(+)-N concentration. On the basis of the RSM results, the interactive effects of these factors on the SMP formation were evaluated, and the optimal operating conditions for a minimum SMP production in such a batch activated sludge system also were identified. These results provide useful information about how to control the SMP formation of activated sludge and ensure the bioreactor high-quality effluent.

Toxic effects of imidazolium-based ionic liquids on Caenorhabditis elegans: The role of reactive oxygen species

By using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model animal, the present work is aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity of imidazolium-based bromide Ionic Liquids (ILs), and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved. Firstly, 24-h median lethal concentration (LC50) for eight ILs with different alkyl chain lengths and one or two methyl groups in the imidazolium ring were determined to be in a range of 0.09-6.64 mg mL(-1). Four ILs were selected to investigate the toxic mechanisms. Mortality, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipofuscin accumulation and expression of superoxide dismutase 3 in C. elegans were determined after exposed to ILs at sub-lethal concentrations for 12h. A significant increase in the levels of these biomarkers was observed in accordance with the results of 12-h lethality assay. The addition of 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide, which acts as a radical scavenger, remarkably rescued the lethality of C. elegans and significantly decreased the ROS level in C. elegans. Our results suggest that ROS play an important role in IL-induced toxicity in C. elegans.

A photometric high-throughput method for identification of electrochemically active bacteria using a WO3 nanocluster probe.

Electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) are ubiquitous in environment and have important application in the fields of biogeochemistry, environment, microbiology and bioenergy. However, rapid and sensitive methods for EAB identification and evaluation of their extracellular electron transfer ability are still lacking. Herein we report a novel photometric method for visual detection of EAB by using an electrochromic material, WO3 nanoclusters, as the probe. This method allowed a rapid identification of EAB within 5 min and a quantitative evaluation of their extracellular electron transfer abilities. In addition, it was also successfully applied for isolation of EAB from environmental samples. Attributed to its rapidness, high reliability, easy operation and low cost, this method has high potential for practical implementation of EAB detection and investigations.