Microfluidic flow-through microbial fuel cells

Abstract

This paper reports a flow-through (FT) miniaturized microbial fuel cell (µMFC) using three-dimensional graphene foam (GF) as a porous 3D anode. The FT design allows enhancing nutrient use efficiency for electrochemical reaction between electron-generating bacteria and bio-convertible and minimizing to sustain energy production of µMFC. The built-in interconnected pore network of the GF anode can not only provide 3D scaffolds for bacterial attachment and colonization, but also serve as a microfluidic porous channel for flowing nutrient solutions over the biofilm formed on the scaffolds. The FT µMFC provides a volume power density of 745 µW/cm3 based on the total volume of anolyte chamber.