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{"title":"Nanostructured Pt\/MnO2 Catalysts and Their Performance for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Air Cathode Microbial Fuel Cell","authors":"Maksudur Rahman Khan, Kar Min Chan, Huei Ruey Ong, Chin Kui Cheng, Wasikur Rahman","volume":99,"journal":"International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering","pagesStart":296,"pagesEnd":303,"ISSN":"1307-6892","URL":"https:\/\/publications.waset.org\/pdf\/10000706","abstract":"Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a promising \r\ntechnology for simultaneous bioelectricity generation and wastewater \r\ntreatment. Catalysts are significant portions of the cost of microbial \r\nfuel cell cathodes. Many materials have been tested as aqueous \r\ncathodes, but air-cathodes are needed to avoid energy demands for \r\nwater aeration. The sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) rate at \r\nair cathode necessitates efficient electrocatalyst such as carbon \r\nsupported platinum catalyst (Pt\/C) which is very costly. Manganese \r\noxide (MnO2) was a representative metal oxide which has been \r\nstudied as a promising alternative electrocatalyst for ORR and has \r\nbeen tested in air-cathode MFCs. However the single MnO2 has poor \r\nelectric conductivity and low stability. In the present work, the MnO2 \r\ncatalyst has been modified by doping Pt nanoparticle. The goal of the \r\nwork was to improve the performance of the MFC with minimum Pt \r\nloading. MnO2 and Pt nanoparticles were prepared by hydrothermal \r\nand sol gel methods, respectively. Wet impregnation method was \r\nused to synthesize Pt\/MnO2 catalyst. The catalysts were further used \r\nas cathode catalysts in air-cathode cubic MFCs, in which anaerobic \r\nsludge was inoculated as biocatalysts and palm oil mill effluent \r\n(POME) was used as the substrate in the anode chamber. The asprepared \r\nPt\/MnO2 was characterized comprehensively through field \r\nemission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-Ray diffraction \r\n(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cyclic \r\nvoltammetry (CV) where its surface morphology, crystallinity, \r\noxidation state and electrochemical activity were examined, \r\nrespectively. XPS revealed Mn (IV) oxidation state and Pt (0) \r\nnanoparticle metal, indicating the presence of MnO2 and Pt. \r\nMorphology of Pt\/MnO2 observed from FESEM shows that the \r\ndoping of Pt did not cause change in needle-like shape of MnO2 \r\nwhich provides large contacting surface area. The electrochemical \r\nactive area of the Pt\/MnO2 catalysts has been increased from 276 to \r\n617 m2\/g with the increase in Pt loading from 0.2 to 0.8 wt%. The \r\nCV results in O2 saturated neutral Na2SO4 solution showed that \r\nMnO2 and Pt\/MnO2 catalysts could catalyze ORR with different \r\ncatalytic activities. MFC with Pt\/MnO2 (0.4 wt% Pt) as air cathode \r\ncatalyst generates a maximum power density of 165 mW\/m3, which \r\nis higher than that of MFC with MnO2 catalyst (95 mW\/m3). The \r\nopen circuit voltage (OCV) of the MFC operated with MnO2 cathode \r\ngradually decreased during 14 days of operation, whereas the MFC \r\nwith Pt\/MnO2 cathode remained almost constant throughout the \r\noperation suggesting the higher stability of the Pt\/MnO2 catalyst. \r\nTherefore, Pt\/MnO2 with 0.4 wt% Pt successfully demonstrated as an \r\nefficient and low cost electrocatalyst for ORR in air cathode MFC with higher electrochemical activity, stability and hence enhanced \r\nperformance.<\/p>\r\n","references":"[1] B. E. Logan, Microbial fuel cells, John Wiley & Sons, 2008.\r\n[2] B. E. Logan, B. Hamelers, R. Rozendal, U. Schr\u00f6der, J. Keller, S.\r\nFreguia, P. Aelterman, W. Verstraete, K. 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