Cathodiclimitationsinmicrobialfuelcells

JournalofPowerSources180(2008)683–694ContentslistsavailableatScienceDirectJournalofPowerSourcesjournalhomepage::AnoverviewHamidRismani-Yazdia,∗,SarahM.Carverb,AnnD.Christya,OlliH.Tuovinenb,caDepartmentofFood,AgriculturalandBiologicalEngineering,OhioStateUniversity,590WoodyHayesDrive,Columbus,OH43210,UnitedStatesbDepartmentofMicrobiology,OhioStateUniversity,484W12thAvenue,Columbus,OH43210,UnitedStatescDepartmentofChemistryandBioengineering,TampereUniversityofTechnology,P.O.Box541,FI-33101Tampere,FinlandarticleinfoArticlehistory:Received23January2008Receivedinrevisedform18February2008Accepted19February2008Availableonline2March2008Keywords:MicrobialfuelcellCathodiclimitationActivationlossesOhmiclossesMasstransportlossesSubstratecrossoverabstractMicrobialfuelcells(MFCs)areapromisingtechnologyforsustainableproductionofalternativeenergyandwastetreatment.Theperformanceofmicrobialfuelcellsisseverelyaffectedbylimitationsbasedonirreversiblereactionsandprocessesintheanodeandthecathodecompartments.ThepurposeofthispaperistoreviewthecathodiclimitationsMFCsandprovideanoverviewoncathodicactivation,ohmicandmasstransportlossesandsubstratecrossover.Recentstudiesthathaveaddressedtheselimitationsandexploredapproachesforimprovementarealsodiscussed.MFCsstillfacemanychallengesbutwithconsistentadvances,especiallywithrespecttothecathode,performancecancontinuetoimprove.©2008ElsevierB.V.Allrightsreserved.Contents1.Introduction.........................................................................................................................................6842.Cathodiclimitations................................................................................................................................6852.1.Activationlosses.............................................................................................................................6852.2.Ohmiclosses.................................................................................................................................6852.3.Masstransportlosses.......................................................................................................................6853.Reducingcathodicactivationlosses................................................................................................................6863.1.Mediators....................................................................................................................................6863.2.Catalysts.....................................................................................................................................6873.2.1.Metal-basedcatalysts..............................................................................................................6873.2.2.Biocatalysts........................................................................................................................6873.3.Cathodesurfacearea........................................................................................................................6883.4.Operationalconditions......................................................................................................................6884.Reducingcathodicohmiclosses....................................................................................................................6894.1.Catholyte.....................................................................................................................................6894.2.Membrane...................................................................................................................................6894.3.Electrode-spacing...........................................................................................................................6915.Reducingcathodicmasstransportlosses...........................................................................................................6925.1.Oxidantconcentration.......................................................................................................................6925.2.Cathodeelectrodedesign...................................................................................................................6925.3.Cathodecompartmentdesign...............................................................................................................6936.Otherlosses.........................................................................................................................................6937.Concludingremarks.................................................................................................................................693Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................................694References.........................................................................................................................