Ameliorating Cu2+ reduction in microbial fuel cell with Z-scheme BiFeO3 decorated on flower-like ZnO composite photocathode

Lam SM 1 , Sin JC 2 , Zeng H 3 , Lin H 4 , Li H 4 , Mohamed AR 5 Show all authors , Lim JW 6

Affiliations 

  • 1 College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia. Electronic address: lamsm@utar.edu.my
  • 2 College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Department of Petrochemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia
  • 3 College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China. Electronic address: zenghonghu@glut.edu.cn
  • 4 College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
  • 5 School of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300, Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
  • 6 Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, HICoE-Centre for Biofuel and Biochemical Research, Institute of Self-Sustainable Building, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610, Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia
Chemosphere, 2022 Jan;287(Pt 4):132384.
PMID: 34597645 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132384

Abstract

BiFeO3 nanoparticle decorated on flower-like ZnO (BiFeO3/ZnO) was fabricated through a facile hydrothermal-reflux combined method. This material was utilized as a composite photocathode for the first time in microbial fuel cell (MFC) to reduce the copper ion (Cu2+) and power generation concomitantly. The resultant BiFeO3/ZnO-based MFC displayed distinct photoelectrocatalytic activities when different weight percentages (wt%) BiFeO3 were used. The 3 wt% BiFeO3/ZnO MFC achieved the maximum power density of 1.301 W m-2 in the catholyte contained 200 mg L-1 of Cu2+ and the power density was greatly higher than those pure ZnO and pure BiFeO3 photocathodes. Meanwhile, the MFC exhibited 90.7% removal of Cu2+ within 6 h under sunlight exposure at catholyte pH 4. The addition of BiFeO3 nanoparticles not only manifested outstanding capability in harvesting visible light, but also facilitated the formation of Z-scheme BiFeO3/ZnO heterojunction structure to induce the charge carrier transfer along with enhanced redox abilities for the cathodic reduction. The pronounced electrical output and Cu2+ reduction efficiencies can be realized through the synergistic cooperation between the bioanode and BiFeO3/ZnO photocathode in the MFC. Furthermore, the developed BiFeO3/ZnO composite presented a good stability and reusability of photoelectrocatalytic activity up to five cyclic runs.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

MeSH terms
Similar publications