The coupled microfluidic microbial electrochemical cell as a self-powered biohydrogen generator

Due to the importance of hydrogen as an effective antioxidant for its applications in therapy, this research reports the fabrication of a coupled microfluidic microbial electrochemical cell (MXC), including microfluidic microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and a microfluidic microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) series in order to perform it as a selfpowered biohydrogen generator: Being able to be a platform of implantable medical devices, utilization a non-phatogenic strain of Escherichia coli as the biocatalyst in order to exploit the embodied energy from human blood and excrement and finally the use of cheap and facile materials (<$2 per device) are the exceptional features of the system. The sustainable potential difference for a series of three microfluidic MFCs is 1.97 V, and is high and sufficient for hydrolyzing an organic substrate. The single cell has a capability for producing the maximum power density of 20 W m(-3) and the three cells series connection achieve as 38.2 W m(-3) as the highest collective power. The maximum hydrogen production rate of 46 and 28 ppm h(-1) obtain for glucose and ureabased substrates, respectively. The coupled microfluidic MXC performance characterize based on its substrate type, concentration, flow rate as well as comparison with other conventional MECs.