Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chao-Chin Chang, Chun-Wei Yeh, Chang-Ping Yu
Summary: Urine microbial fuel cells have the potential to treat urine and generate electricity. There are different factors affecting the performance of urine MFCs during scaling up. Unstable anode potential leads to energy loss while unstable cathode potential results in power loss. Analysis of impedance spectroscopy and microbial community can guide the improvement of different connection strategies.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Na Zhao, Dawei Liang, Hong Liu, Shujuan Meng, Xiaohu Li
Summary: MEC converts organics from wastewater to fuel-grade hydrogen, but long-term operation is hindered by deteriorating hydrogen recovery. This study presents a novel separator-electrode assembly design to effectively block hydrogen crossover and increase hydrogen recovery, achieving high current density and hydrogen production.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Electrochemistry
Shanyun Mo, Lei Du, Zhiyin Huang, Junda Chen, Yangdong Zhou, Puwei Wu, Ling Meng, Ning Wang, Lixin Xing, Mingquan Zhao, Yunsong Yang, Junke Tang, Yuquan Zou, Siyu Ye
Summary: In recent years, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells have regained worldwide attention. However, their high cost and short lifetime have hindered their competitiveness. This paper critically reviews the recent progress of key materials and manufacturing techniques for membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) in PEM fuel cells. It aims to bridge the gaps between academic material research and industrial manufacturing process development.
ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
N. Saniei, N. Ghasemi, A. A. Zinatizadeh, S. Zinadini, M. Ramezani, A. A. Derakhshan
Summary: Hydrophilic nanoparticles of goethite and its derivatives were used to prepare proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The performance of the fabricated PEMs was significantly improved in terms of power density, current density, coulombic efficiency, and COD removal compared to the bare membrane. The best result was obtained with a SPEEK nanocomposite membrane containing 0.5% wt goethite.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mehrdad Mashkour, Mostafa Rahimnejad, Mahdi Mashkour, Francesca Soavi
Summary: A novel membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was fabricated and evaluated as an air-cathode in a single-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC), showing higher performance in electricity generation and wastewater treatment at a lower cost compared to a PTFE-based gas diffusion electrode (GDE).
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Eunho Choi, Sang Moon Kim, Segeun Jang
Summary: A single spray-coating method was used to develop a robust and free-standing reinforced Nafion composite membrane and electrodes. The optimized spray-coating process was determined through morphology analysis and a theoretical model based on the coverage of sprayed droplets. The fabricated reinforced membrane showed excellent mechanical properties and minimal proton-conducting loss, and the resulting MEA performed comparably to, and even better than, the one with commercial Nafion membrane after durability testing.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Sungjun Kim, Chi-Yeong Ahn, Mohanraju Karuppannan, Yung-Eun Sung, Oh Joong Kwon, Yong-Hun Cho
Summary: The design of electrode microstructure is crucial for high-performance anion exchange membrane fuel cells, with different solvents significantly impacting the pore structure of the electrode while the electrochemically active surface area remains relatively constant. Electrodes with large porous structures outperform dense electrodes in AEMFC performance at both the anode and cathode.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Taeseong Choi, Noh Nyun Park, Yoomin Ahn
Summary: The study proposes co-laminar flow microbial fuel cells with flow-through electrodes to improve power density and optimizes fuel cell performance through microfabrication technology. The research provides valuable insights for the commercialization of microfluidic MFCs as power sources for portable medical and electronic instruments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mitra Ahanchi, Tahereh Jafary, Anteneh Mesfin Yeneneh, Parveen Fatemeh Rupani, Alireza Shafizadeh, Hossein Shahbeik, Junting Pan, Meisam Tabatabaei, Mortaza Aghbashlo
Summary: This review highlights the opportunity of using abundant waste biomass resources to address the challenges of economic viability and low power productivity in microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems. The potential of utilizing waste biomass as membrane constituents, electrode materials, and feedstock sources is discussed, along with recent advances in power management and optimization techniques. The study suggests that converting waste biomass to biochar or activated carbon can significantly reduce the cost of electrodes, and waste biomass-derived biochar can lower membrane manufacturing costs. The review also proposes optimum power management configurations based on key factors such as input and output voltage. It outlines the challenges and limitations of using waste biomass in MFC systems, providing insights for future research in this field.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. Arun, Surjith Ramasamy, Kannan Pakshirajan, G. Pugazhenthi
Summary: The membrane photosynthetic microbial fuel cell (MPMFC) utilizes O2, NO3- and NO2- as cathodic electron acceptors for simultaneous treatment of nitrogen, CO2 and organic carbon. A novel cathodic process with in situ nitritation via microalgal photosynthesis during the light period enables shortcut nitrogen removal (SNR) from ammonium-rich wastewater. The MPMFC achieved a nitrogen removal efficiency of 99 +/- 0.5% and maximum electricity production of 56 +/- 0.1 mA by combining microalgal photosynthesis, nitritation and denitritation in the cathode compartment.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jingwen Zhang, Hualong Ma, Jun Ma, Meixue Hu, Qihao Li, Sheng Chen, Tianshu Ning, Chuangxin Ge, Xi Liu, Li Xiao, Lin Zhuang, Yixiao Zhang, Liwei Chen
Summary: Alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells (APEFCs) are essential energy conversion devices for future renewable energy structures, but their overall performance and long-term stability need improvement. This study presents a fabrication method of a cone-shaped array on the surface of an alkaline polymer electrolyte membrane to improve the overall device performance.
ACTA PHYSICO-CHIMICA SINICA
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Shengyang Zhou, Yuyang Cai, Qifeng Zhang, Jifu Zheng, Shenghai Li, Yunqi Li, Suobo Zhang, Yi-hong Ding
Summary: The study presents a novel approach for designing semi-crystalline fluorinated PEMs with high proton conductivity under high temperature and low humidity conditions. The structural characteristics of the PEMs help improve the stability of nanochannels at elevated temperatures and low humidity, showing potential for enhancing fuel cell performance.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yansong Zhou, Ramesha Ganganahalli, Sumit Verma, Hui Ru Tan, Boon Siang Yeo
Summary: This article reports the electrosynthesis of C-3 to C-6 acetate esters from carbon monoxide using copper catalysts in a membrane electrode assembly cell. Ethyl acetate and propyl acetate could be produced with high efficiency and current density, while minor quantities of methyl acetate and butyl acetate were also formed. The reaction conditions and pH play crucial roles in the formation of the esters.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jianqi Yuan, Haiguang Yuan, Shaobin Huang, Lijie Liu, Feichao Fu, Yongqing Zhang, Fangqin Cheng, Jianfeng Li
Summary: This study compared the effects and bacterial community structure of single-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in treating NH4+-containing wastewater with different COD/N ratios. Results showed that MFCs with low COD/N had better NH4+-N removal and electrochemical performance, while MFCs with high COD/N had better removal stability and COD removal effect. High-throughput sequencing revealed that the anode community structure was weakly affected by the COD/N ratio, with Geobacter dominating, but the cathode community was complex and susceptible to the COD/N ratio. pH profiling in the cathode biofilm and FISH were used to confirm the distribution trends of nitrifiers and denitrifiers.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Eduardo Iniesta-Lopez, Adrian Hernandez-Fernandez, Yolanda Garrido, Ioannis A. Ieropoulos, Francisco Jose Hernandez-Fernandez
Summary: A new microbial fuel cell technology based on an ionic liquid membrane assembly has been proposed for treating animal slurry. The new low-cost membrane-cathode system achieved high power and efficient removal of organic matter, while simplifying the manufacturing process.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Keiichiro Maegawa, Hideaki Nagai, Rajesh Kumar, Mohamed M. Abdel-Galeil, Wai Kian Tan, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: This research investigates the use of microwave-exfoliated porous graphene oxide nanosheets as nanofillers in polybenzimidazole membranes for high-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. The composite membranes show improved ionic conductivity, stable cell performance, and high power density, with oxygen-containing functionalities playing a crucial role in the formation of the membrane. The presence of reduced graphene oxide nanosheets enhances proton conductivity and thermal stability, leading to a high-temperature PEMFC with high power density and stability.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Taisei Nakazono, Atsushi Yokoi, Wai Kian Tan, Go Kawamura, Atsunori Matsuda, Hiroyuki Muto
Summary: Despite difficulties in handling and agglomeration-prone properties, nano and submicron-sized additive materials can be effectively incorporated into composite granules using the electrostatic integrated granulation method. This study demonstrates the controlled incorporation of two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) sheets with alumina (Al2O3) particles, forming Al2O3-hBN core-shell composite granules. The resulting sintered artifacts showed significantly higher thermal conductivity compared to homogeneously incorporated hBN-Al2O3 composite granules. These findings have implications for the scalable fabrication of microstructurally controlled composite granules using powder-metallurgy inspired methods.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
May Zin Toe, Wai Kian Tan, Hiroyuki Muto, Go Kawamura, Atsunori Matsuda, Swee-Yong Pung
Summary: Aerosol deposition (AD) is a simple and cost-effective technique to produce ZnO thin films compared to other deposition techniques. This study systematically investigated the effect of deposition cycles on the structural, optical, and photo-conversion efficiency (PCE) of dye sensitized solar cells of ZnO thin films deposited by AD. The two-cycle deposited ZnO thin film (AZ-II) showed the highest performance in terms of structure, optics, and PCE%, while further increasing deposition cycles resulted in deterioration of performance.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Radian Febi Indrawan, Hirotada Gamo, Atsushi Nagai, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: Solid electrolytes (SEs) are crucial in all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries. Liquid-phase synthesis is a promising method for their production. However, impurities present in SEs prepared by liquid-phase synthesis make liquid electrolytes indispensable. This study successfully addressed the issue of Li3PO4 impurity and achieved high ionic conductivity in Li6PS5Cl SEs through liquid-phase synthesis by replacing the solvent.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Keiichiro Maegawa, Fan Zhang, Qiaxian Johnson, Mihaela Jitianu, KianTan Wai, Go Kawamura, Atsunori Matsuda, Andrei Jitianu
Summary: In this study, nickel-aluminum layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were synthesized using the sol-gel method, and their crystal structure and morphology were modified by hydrothermal treatments. The duration of the hydrothermal treatment was found to effectively control the micro- and nanostructures of Ni-Al LDHs. This study suggests that the hydrothermal treatment duration is a crucial factor in the structural evolution of LDHs and can be utilized to tailor their structure for various applications.
CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yusuke Morino, Hikaru Sano, Koji Kawamoto, Hiroyuki Higuchi, Noriyuki Yamamoto, Atsunori Matsuda, Ken-ichi Fukui, Atsushi Sakuda, Akitoshi Hayashi
Summary: Sulfide-based solid electrolytes have high lithium-ion conductivities, but react strongly with moisture, resulting in toxic gas generation and reduced conductivity. This study investigates the changes in a glass-ceramic sulfide-based solid electrolyte before and after exposure to moisture, focusing on surface chemical species and adsorbed water. Moisture exposure decreases lithium-ion conductivity due to water adsorption onto the electrolyte surface.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Keiichiro Maegawa, Towa Bunno, Ibuki Yokoyama, Atsushi Nagai, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: In the field of high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, the research focuses on finding suitable proton conductors for high-temperature anhydrous conditions. Poly(4-vinylpyridine)s have been used as both organic donor polymers and heat-resistant materials. By introducing various acids into the polymer side chain through acid-base reactions, poly(4-vinylpyridinium salt)s (PVPySAs) are formed. The research investigates the influence of substituent design on the proton conductivity of PVPySAs and finds that shortened protonated atomic distances enhance the conductivity.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Keiichiro Maegawa, Mateusz Wlazlo, Nguyen Huu Huy Phuc, Kazuhiro Hikima, Go Kawamura, Atsushi Nagai, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: This study developed a proton-conductive salt by coordinating multiple acid species with heterocyclic imidazole. The addition of SiO2 to the salt enhanced proton conductivity. A method based on density functional theory (DFT) was proposed to predict proton conductivity. Comprehensive physical characterizations and calculations revealed the proton conduction mechanism.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Sally M. Youssry, M. Abd Elkodous, Rajesh Kumar, Go Kawamura, Wai Kian Tan, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: In this study, a thermally reduced graphene oxide/nickel nanocomposite was synthesized and coated on nickel foam as electrode material for supercapacitors. The nanocomposite exhibited specific capacity of 154.3 C g-1 and 90.2% capacitance retention after 2,000 cycles in 1 M KOH. The superior electrochemical performance of the TrGO/Ni nanocomposite was attributed to its homogenous structure, quick ion transport, and low resistance.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kazuhiro Hikima, Ryo Fujii, Hirotada Gamo, Hirofumi Tsukasaki, Shigeo Mori, Toshiki Watanabe, Kentaro Yamamoto, Yoshiharu Uchimoto, Hiroyuki Muto, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: This study focuses on the doping of Y2S3 in Li2S active cathode materials to enhance their properties. The 99Li(2)S-1Y(2)S(3) (mol %) active cathode material showed the highest reversible capacity of 953 mAh g(-1), exceeding that of intrinsic Li2S. Transmission electron microscopy observations revealed that Y atoms aggregated on the Li2S surface in the form of P-doped LiYS(2) species, acting as a catalyst. The findings enable the material design of Li2S-based cathode active materials for use in high-energy-density Li-S batteries.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Marwa Mohamed Abouelela, Mostafa Saad Sayed, Go Kawamura, Wai Kian Tan, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: ZnO nanopagoda arrays (NPGs) modified with Ag and Ag2S nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated and studied as photoanodes for the photoelectrochemical system. The deposition of Ag and Ag2S NPs on ZnO NPGs' surface enhanced visible light-harvesting and e � /h+ separation and injection. The optimized SILAR cycles achieved significantly improved photocurrent and applied bias photon-to-current conversion efficiency compared to bare ZnO NPGs. The study proposed charge transfer and PEC mechanisms for the fabricated ZnO NPGs/Ag-Ag2S NPs photoanodes.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kazuhiro Hikima, Yusaku Sato, Atsushi Yokoi, Wai Kian Tan, Hiroyuki Muto, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: This study reports the fabrication of cathode composites for oxide-type all-solid-state batteries using an electrostatic assembly method. The electrostatic integration results in enhanced electronic conductivity in the composites and the dispersion of carbon nanotubes. The research demonstrates that an integrated cathode composite can be successfully fabricated for oxide-type all-solid-state batteries by utilizing electrostatic interactions.
Review
Electrochemistry
Hirotada Gamo, Atsushi Nagai, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are highly promising for their high energy density and safety. Although the development of highly conductive solid electrolytes (SEs) has been the focus of ASSB research, the commercialization of ASSBs requires scalable manufacturing of sulfide SEs. However, the air sensitivity of sulfide SEs limits their synthesis to the laboratory scale. This review explores the potential of liquid-phase synthesis for sulfide SEs, offering a guideline for solvent selection and discussing recent advancements in scalable liquid-phase synthesis.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kazuhiro Hikima, Kaito Ogawa, Hirotada Gamo, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: Li10GeP2S12 solid electrolytes were synthesized via suspension synthesis method in 1 day, and also prepared using a solution synthesis method in 7.5 h. The latter method achieved the fastest synthesis time. These solid electrolytes exhibited the highest ionic conductivity of 1.6 x 10(-3) S cm(-1) compared to previous liquid phase synthesis studies. Therefore, Li10GeP2S12 solid electrolytes with high ionic conductivity can be rapidly synthesized using liquid-phase methods.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hirotada Gamo, Kazuhiro Hikima, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: This study reports a cathode design for all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries (ASLSBs) that enhances the redox reaction kinetics of the cathode, suppresses interfacial degradation, and improves the practical performance of the batteries. The design uses Li2S and transition-metal sulfides in the composite cathode and shows promising results in terms of discharge capacity and long-term stability.
