Immobilization of the iron on the surface of non-woven carbon fiber for use in a microbial fuel cell

Abstract

Abstract Iron particles were immobilized onto non-woven carbon fiber via electroplating for use in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). Electroplating was performed under an applied voltage at a current of 0.2 A for 5, 10, and 15 min. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations show that 5 min was not adequate for the particles to be immobilized, whereas 10 and 15 min of electroplating resulted in an adequate number of particles on the surface. To evaluate the strength of the binding of iron via electroplating on the surface of the fiber, the samples were washed with pure water and observed using an SEM. The 10 min electroplated sample has a larger surface area, which is suitable for the MFC anode, than the 15 min electroplated sample. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, the peaks corresponded to those of Fe2O3, and the sample dipped into tannic acid shows the peaks of Fe3O4. The amount of biofilm of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was evaluated using crystal violet staining, and living bacteria were counted as colony forming units. Electroplated Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 were found to be effective for producing biofilm and immobilizing S. oneidensis MR-1.

Keywords

• Microbial fuel cell
• Non-woven carbon fiber
• Iron oxide
• Shewanella oneidensis MR-1
• Electroplating