ZrP<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub> as a Cathodic Material in Single-Chamber MFC for Bioenergy Production
Abdellah Benzaouak,
Noureddine Touach,
Hanane Mahir,
Youssra Elhamdouni,
Najoua Labjar,
Adnane El Hamidi,
Mohammed El Mahi,
El Mostapha Lotfi,
Mohamed Kacimi,
Leonarda Francesca Liotta
Affiliations
Abdellah Benzaouak
Laboratory of Spectroscopy, Molecular Modeling, Materials, Nanomaterials, Water and Environment, Environmental Materials Team, École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10 000, Morocco
Noureddine Touach
Laboratory of Spectroscopy, Molecular Modeling, Materials, Nanomaterials, Water and Environment, Environmental Materials Team, École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10 000, Morocco
Hanane Mahir
Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Materials, Catalysis and Environment, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10 000, Morocco
Youssra Elhamdouni
Laboratory of Spectroscopy, Molecular Modeling, Materials, Nanomaterials, Water and Environment, Environmental Materials Team, École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10 000, Morocco
Najoua Labjar
Laboratory of Spectroscopy, Molecular Modeling, Materials, Nanomaterials, Water and Environment, Environmental Materials Team, École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10 000, Morocco
Adnane El Hamidi
Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Materials, Catalysis and Environment, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10 000, Morocco
Mohammed El Mahi
Laboratory of Spectroscopy, Molecular Modeling, Materials, Nanomaterials, Water and Environment, Environmental Materials Team, École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10 000, Morocco
El Mostapha Lotfi
Laboratory of Spectroscopy, Molecular Modeling, Materials, Nanomaterials, Water and Environment, Environmental Materials Team, École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10 000, Morocco
Mohamed Kacimi
Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Materials, Catalysis and Environment, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10 000, Morocco
Leonarda Francesca Liotta
Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati (ISMN)-CNR, via Ugo La Malfa, 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
The present work is the first investigation of the electrocatalytic performances of ZrP2O7 as a cathode in a single-chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) for the conversion of chemical energy from wastewater to bioelectricity. This catalyst was prepared by a coprecipitation method, then characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), ultraviolet–visible–near-infrared spectrophotometry (UV–Vis–NIR), and cyclic voltammetry analyses. The acid–basic characteristics of the surface were probed by using 2-butanol decomposition. The conversion of 2-butanol occurs essentially through the dehydrating reaction, indicating the predominantly acidic character of the solid. The electrochemical test shows that the studied cathode material is electroactive. In addition, the ZrP2O7 in the MFC configuration exhibited high performance in terms of bioelectricity generation, giving a maximum output power density of around 449 mW m−2; moreover, it was active for wastewater treatment, reducing the chemical oxygen demand (COD) charge to 50% after three days of reaction.
