Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Amna Anjum, Shaukat Ali Mazari, Zubair Hashmi, Abdul Sattar Jatoi, Rashid Abro
Summary: Cathodes are crucial in assessing the performance of microbial fuel cells, with oxidation reduction reactions improving power density and electrochemical performance. Proper catalyst loading can enhance cathode performance significantly.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ambika Arkatkar, Arvind Kumar Mungray, Preeti Sharma
Summary: The study tested the application of a microbial patch in MFC to address oxygen diffusion issues, finding that the design improved electron transfer rate, wastewater degradation, and reduced resistance. This simple design also acted as a two-step degradation system for improved wastewater management and green energy generation.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Qian Zhu, Xiaoxuan Wang, Jingping Hu, Sijing Chen, Shaogang Hu, Yaqian Wu, Bingchuan Liu, Keke Xiao, Sha Liang, Jiakuan Yang, Huijie Hou
Summary: A novel microbial fuel cell-photocatalysis system was proposed for the synergistic degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol with simultaneous electricity generation. The system showed stable electricity generation and efficient degradation of the contaminant, as confirmed by the detection of intermediates and shifts in microbial community structures.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xinyi Li, Yangtian Huang, Yubiao Lu, Tianbo Jia, Jianxin Wang, Peng Li
Summary: Nitrogen-doped graphene oxide (N-doped GO) catalyst improves the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance of air-cathode microbial fuel cell (AMFC), enhancing the output voltage and power density. The NGO10 catalyst shows the highest output voltage (391.8 mV) and power density (1800 mWm-3) in AMFC, outperforming H-NGO and Pt/C electrodes. High-throughput sequencing reveals diverse bacterial communities in anode and cathode biofilms, with enriched denitrifying bacteria including Marinobacter, Methylophaga, and Arcobacter on NGO10 cathode. Real-time PCR confirms higher expression of denitrification-related genes in the NGO10 cathode biofilm.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jingzhen Wang, Kaijie Mu, Xuedong Zhao, Dianliang Luo, Xiaodi Yu, Wenpeng Li, Jie Chu, Jing Yang, Qinzheng Yang
Summary: In this study, Pd was uniformly dispersed on the graphene framework supported by carbon black to form nanocomposite catalysts, leading to improved catalytic performance. The optimized metal loading reduced resistance and improved accessibility of Pd particles for the ORR, resulting in a 4.2-fold increase in the maximum current output of the MFC compared to the carbon paper cathode. Overall, this research provides a novel protocol for preparing high-efficiency ORR catalysts for MFCs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ting Huang, Jinhui Wei, Xiaoting Zhu, Enren Zhang
Summary: The use of Fe-N-C catalyst synthesized from raw soybean powder in MFCs demonstrates high efficiency and stability in oxygen reduction reactions. Utilizing this catalyst in MFCs can result in higher power production compared to commercial Pt/C.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Ruggero Rossi, Bruce E. Logan
Summary: Different microbial fuel cell configurations have been tested at pilot-scale levels to generate electricity while treating domestic or industrial wastewater. Air-cathode MFCs outperform liquid catholyte reactors, but additional treatment is needed to reduce the organic matter in the effluent.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Kanwal Shahid, Deepika Lakshmi Ramasamy, Mika Sillanpaa
Summary: The study introduces the use of chitosan beads as an eco-friendly anodic material for the efficient recovery of nutrients and energy production from wastewater. The chitosan-based system showed comparable efficiency to an activated carbon-based system, providing a self-driven route for recovering and enriching nutrients from municipal wastewater.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xueli Zhang, Zhiyuan Lin, Bolong Liang, Ming Zhong, Mingtao Zhang, Kexun Li, Hao Wang, Cuicui Lv
Summary: A method of preparing porous iron-nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres using an inexpensive zinc-iron Prussian blue analogue as the precursor was proposed in this study, which significantly improves the performance of activated carbon air-cathode microbial fuel cells.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Changshun Chu, Jianting Liu, Liling Wei, Jiejie Feng, Huayi Li, Jianquan Shen
Summary: Fe3C and Fe2P-incorporated N-doped porous carbon (Fe3C/Fe2P@NC-N4Fe2) was prepared using the rich P element in radish via carbothermal reduction method without adding P resources. The catalyst showed excellent ORR performance due to abundant active sites provided by Fe3C and Fe2P and facilitated mass transfer by the porous structure in the N-doped carbon matrix. The AC-MFC assembled with Fe3C/Fe2P@NC-N4Fe2 as the cathodic ORR catalyst exhibited superior power output performance with 948.9 mW m-2, 1.03 times higher than that of 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst. Therefore, Fe3C/Fe2P@NC-N4Fe2 can be a viable alternative to Pt/C catalyst in AC-MFCs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Widya Ernayati Kosimaningrum, Mekhaissia Ouis, Yaovi Holade, Buchari Buchari, Indra Noviandri, Mostefa Kameche, Marc Cretin, Christophe Innocent
Summary: The study demonstrates the feasibility of using Pt nanoarrays decorated 3D carbon felt electrode as a bifunctional electrode for air-breathing microbial fuel cell, significantly enhancing power density and short-circuit current density by improving electrochemical activity.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Ana K. F. Leite, Brenda N. Santos, Thatyane V. Fonteles, Sueli Rodrigues
Summary: Prebiotic cashew apple juice produced by enzyme synthesis contains oligosaccharides, dextran, and tagatose, which have a promoting effect on the growth of probiotics. Different microorganisms consume different carbohydrates, and when metabolized by beneficial microorganisms in the gut, the prebiotic juice promotes the growth of these probiotics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bin Ji, Yaqian Zhao, Yang Yang, Cheng Tang, Yunyu Dai, Xiaomeng Zhang, Yiping Tai, Ran Tao, Weifeng Ruan
Summary: This study investigates the performance discrepancy between using different shapes and materials of air cathodes in the constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell system. The results show that the ring-shaped air cathode with granular activated carbon (GAC) exhibits the best electrochemical performance and decontamination effects. The electrochemical characteristics and the electron transport system activity are identified as key factors influencing the electron transport and oxygen reduction reaction in the air cathode.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Shuyan Yu, Zhen Guo, Yan Zhou, Congju Li
Summary: With the rapid development of the economy, there is an urgent need for energy. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are considered to be the ideal choice for the next generation of energy storage equipment due to their non-toxic, safe, and environmentally friendly advantages. However, the slow kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on MFC air cathodes and the high cost of traditional platinum (Pt) catalysts hinder their practical application. Recent research has shown that metal-organic framework (MOFs) and carbon nanocomposites can provide efficient, low-cost, and stable electrocatalysts as alternatives.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Junfeng Chen, Yiwen Zhang, Yiqun Wu, Jingyu Wang, Yongyue Zhao, Mingkun Wang, Jiaqi Yang, Jinyu Liu, Renjun Wang, Yuewei Yang, Yanyan Liu
Summary: NiCoAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH)/MXene was successfully prepared through hydrothermal method and showed superior catalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). As the cathode in microbial fuel cell (MFC), NiCoAl-LDH/MXene exhibited higher power density and output voltage compared to MXene-MFC and NiCoAl-LDH-MFC. These results suggest that NiCoAl-LDH/MXene is a potential cathode catalyst for MFC with promising future applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yingna Du, Chen Huang, Wei Jiang, Qiangwei Yan, Yongfei Li, Gang Chen
Summary: In this study, anionic surfactants modified hydrotalcite was used as a flow improver for crude oil under low-temperature conditions. The modified hydrotalcite showed a significant viscosity reduction effect on crude oil. The mechanism of the modified hydrotalcite on viscosity and pour point of crude oil was explored through characterization and analysis of the modified hydrotalcite and oil samples.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mohammad Saeid Rostami, Mohammad Mehdi Khodaei
Summary: In this study, a hybrid structure, MIL-53(Al)@MWCNT, was synthesized by combining MIL-53(Al) particles and -COOH functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT). The hybrid structure was then embedded in a polyethersulfone (PES) polymer matrix to prepare a mixed matrix membrane (MMM) for CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 separation. The addition of MWCNTs prevented MIL-53(Al) aggregation, improved membrane mechanical properties, and enhanced gas separation efficiency.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yunlong Li, Desheng Huang, Xiaomeng Dong, Daoyong Yang
Summary: This study develops theoretical and experimental techniques to determine the phase behavior and physical properties of DME/flue gas/water/heavy oil systems. Eight constant composition expansion (CCE) tests are conducted to obtain new experimental data. A thermodynamic model is used to accurately predict saturation pressure and swelling factors, as well as the phase boundaries of N2/heavy oil systems and DME/CO2/heavy oil systems, with high accuracy.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Morteza Afkhamipour, Ebad Seifi, Arash Esmaeili, Mohammad Shamsi, Tohid N. Borhani
Summary: Non-conventional amines are being researched worldwide to overcome the limitations of traditional amines like MEA and MDEA. Adequate process and thermodynamic models are crucial for understanding the applicability and performance of these amines in CO2 absorption, but studies on process modeling for these amines are limited. This study used rate-based modeling and Deshmukh-Mather method to model CO2 absorption by DETA solution in a packed column, validated the model with experimental data, and conducted a sensitivity analysis of mass transfer correlations. The study also compared the CO2 absorption efficiency of DETA solution with an ionic solvent [bmim]-[PF6] and highlighted the importance of finding optimum operational parameters for maximum absorption efficiency.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Arastoo Abdi, Mohamad Awarke, M. Reza Malayeri, Masoud Riazi
Summary: The utilization of smart water in EOR operations has gained attention, but more research is needed to understand the complex mechanisms involved. This study investigated the interfacial tension between smart water and crude oil, considering factors such as salt, pH, asphaltene type, and aged smart water. The results revealed that the hydration of ions in smart water plays a key role in its efficacy, with acidic and basic asphaltene acting as intrinsic surfactants. The pH also influenced the interfacial tension, and the aged smart water's interaction with crude oil depended on asphaltene type, salt, and salinity.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Dongao Zhu, Kun Zhu, Lixian Xu, Haiyan Huang, Jing He, Wenshuai Zhu, Huaming Li, Wei Jiang
Summary: In this study, cobalt-based metal-organic frameworks (Co-based MOFs) were used as supports and co-catalysts to confine the NHPI catalyst, solving the leaching issue. The NHPI@Co-MOF with carboxyl groups exhibited stronger acidity and facilitated the generation of active oxygen radicals O2•, resulting in enhanced catalytic activity. This research provides valuable insights into the selection of suitable organic linkers and broadens the research horizon of MOF hybrids in efficient oxidative desulfurization (ODS) applications.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Edwin G. Hoyos, Gloria Amo-Duodu, U. Gulsum Kiral, Laura Vargas-Estrada, Raquel Lebrero, Rail Munoz
Summary: This study investigated the impact of carbon-coated zero-valent nanoparticle concentration on photosynthetic biogas upgrading. The addition of nanoparticles significantly increased microalgae productivity and enhanced nitrogen and phosphorus assimilation. The presence of nanoparticles also improved the quality of biomethane produced.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yao Xiao, Asma Leghari, Linfeng Liu, Fangchao Yu, Ming Gao, Lu Ding, Yu Yang, Xueli Chen, Xiaoyu Yan, Fuchen Wang
Summary: Iron is added as a flocculant in wastewater treatment and the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of sludge produces wastewater containing Fe. This study investigates the effect of aqueous phase (AP) recycling on hydrochar properties, iron evolution and environmental assessment during HTC of sludge. The results show that AP recycling process improves the dewatering performance of hydrochar and facilitates the recovery of Fe from the liquid phase.
Article
Energy & Fuels
He Liang, Tao Wang, Zhenmin Luo, Jianliang Yu, Weizhai Yi, Fangming Cheng, Jingyu Zhao, Xingqing Yan, Jun Deng, Jihao Shi
Summary: This study investigated the influence of inhibitors (carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and heptafluoropropane) on the lower flammability limit of hydrogen and determined the critical inhibitory concentration needed for complete suppression. The impact of inhibitors on explosive characteristics was evaluated, and the inhibitory mechanism was analyzed with chemical kinetics. The results showed that with the increase of inhibitor quantity, the lower flammability limit of hydrogen also increased. The research findings can contribute to the safe utilization of hydrogen energy.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zonghui Liu, Zhongze Zhang, Yali Zhou, Ziling Wang, Mingyang Du, Zhe Wen, Bing Yan, Qingxiang Ma, Na Liu, Bing Xue
Summary: In this study, high-performance solid catalysts based on phosphotungstic acid (HPW) supported on Zr-SBA-15 were synthesized and evaluated for the one-pot conversion of furfural (FUR) to γ-valerolactone (GVL). The catalysts were characterized using various techniques, and the ratio of HPW and Zr was found to significantly affect the selectivity of GVL. The HPW/Zr-SBA-15 (2-4-15) catalyst exhibited the highest GVL yield (83%) under optimized reaction conditions, and it was determined that a balance between Bronsted acid sites (BAS) and Lewis acid sites (LAS) was crucial for achieving higher catalytic performance. The reaction parameters and catalyst stability were also investigated.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Michael Stoehr, Stephan Ruoff, Bastian Rauch, Wolfgang Meier, Patrick Le Clercq
Summary: As part of the global energy transition, an experimental study was conducted to understand the effects of different fuel properties on droplet vaporization for various conventional and alternative fuels. The study utilized a flow channel to measure the evolution of droplet diameters over time and distance. The results revealed the temperature-dependent effects of physical properties, such as boiling point, liquid density, and enthalpy of vaporization, and showed the complex interactions of preferential vaporization and temperature-dependent influences of physical properties for multi-component fuels.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yuan Zhuang, Ruikang Wu, Xinyan Wang, Rui Zhai, Changyong Gao
Summary: Through experimental validation and optimization of the chemical kinetic model, it was found that methanol can accelerate the oxidation reaction of ammonia, and methanol can be rapidly oxidized at high concentration. HO2 was found to generate a significant amount of OH radicals, facilitating the oxidation of methanol and ammonia. Rating: 7.5/10.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Radwan M. EL-Zohairy, Ahmed S. Attia, A. S. Huzayyin, Ahmed I. EL-Seesy
Summary: This paper presents a lab-scale experimental study on the impact of diethyl ether (DEE) as an additive to waste cooking oil biodiesel with Jet A-1 on combustion and emission features of a swirl-stabilized premixed flame. The addition of DEE to biodiesel significantly affects the flame temperature distribution and emissions. The W20D20 blend of DEE, biodiesel, and Jet A-1 shows similar flame temperature distribution to Jet A-1 and significantly reduces UHC, CO, and NOx emissions compared to Jet A-1.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jiang Bian, Ziyuan Zhao, Yang Liu, Ran Cheng, Xuerui Zang, Xuewen Cao
Summary: This study presents a novel method for ammonia separation using supersonic flow and develops a mathematical model to investigate the condensation phenomenon. The results demonstrate that the L-P nucleation model accurately characterizes the nucleation process of ammonia at low temperatures. Numerical simulations also show that increasing pressure and concentration can enhance ammonia condensation efficiency.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shiyuan Pan, Xiaodan Shi, Beibei Dong, Jan Skvaril, Haoran Zhang, Yongtu Liang, Hailong Li
Summary: Integrating CO2 capture with biomass-fired combined heat and power (bio-CHP) plants is a promising method for achieving negative emissions. This study develops a reliable data-driven model based on the Transformer architecture to predict the flowrate and CO2 concentration of flue gas in real time. The model validation shows high prediction accuracy, and the potential impact of meteorological parameters on model accuracy is assessed. The results demonstrate that the Transformer model outperforms other models and using near-infrared spectral data as input features improves the prediction accuracy.