Impedance spectroscopic study of biofilm formation on pencil lead graphite anode in microbial fuel cell

Abstract

Background: Nowadays, the development of biofilm on the cost-effective polymer-based substrate (anode) to be employed in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) is considered important. The present study deals with the formation of Bacillus subtilis 168 biofilm on a pencil lead graphite that was assessed in an MFC using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Method: The cylindrical single-chambered MFC was designed by using an air-cathode supported stainless steel mesh as a cathode and pencil lead graphite as an anode. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were employed to investigate the biofilm formation. The monitoring of biofilm was conducted by impedance spectroscopy using a new Equivalent Electrical Circuit Model [R(QR)(Q[R(RQ)])]