Mehrdad Mashkour | Babol Noshirvani University of Technology (original) (raw)

Microbial Fuel Cells by Mehrdad Mashkour

Please cite this article as: Mashkour M., Rahimnejad M. Effect of various carbon-based cathode el... more Please cite this article as: Mashkour M., Rahimnejad M. Effect of various carbon-based cathode electrodes on the performance of microbial fuel cell. HIGHLIGHTS  The performance of different carbon-based cathodes was compared in a dual-chambered microbial fuel cell.  A novel CNT/Pt-coated carbon paper was fabricated.  The maximum current and power generated were 82.38 mA/m 2 and 16.26 mW/m 2 , respectively. Aeration in the cathode compartment was found effective on power generation in MFCs. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a prospective technology capable of purifying different types of wastewater while converting its chemical energy into electrical energy using bacteria as active biocatalysts. Electrode materials play an important role in the MFC system. In the present work, different carbon-based materials were studied as electrode and the effect of dissolved oxygen (aeration) in the cathode compartment using actual wastewater was also investigated. More specifically, the effect of different electrode materials such as graphite, carbon cloth, carbon paper (CP), and carbon nanotube platinum (CNT/Pt)-coated CP on the performance of a dual-chambered MFC was studied. Based on the results obtained, the CNT/Pt-coated CP was revealed as the best cathode electrode capable of producing the highest current density (82.38 mA/m 2) and maximum power density (16.26 mW/m 2) in the investigated MFC system. Moreover, aeration was found effective by increasing power density by two folds from 0.93 to 1.84 mW/m 2 using graphite as the model cathode electrode. Please cite this article as: Mashkour M., Rahimnejad M. Effect of various carbon-based cathode electrodes on the performance of microbial fuel cell.

Papers by Mehrdad Mashkour

Nashrieh Shimi va Mohandesi Shimi Iran, May 22, 2018

The aim of this Ph.D. thesis is to develop novel concepts of super-capacitive Microbial Fuel Cell... more The aim of this Ph.D. thesis is to develop novel concepts of super-capacitive Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) by focusing on nanocomposite anodes and cathodes constructed from low-cost bacterial cellulose (BC), carbon materials, and conductive polymers. The use of BC, a biopolymer synthesized by some species of bacteria, as a porous media membrane for fabricating a capacitive membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in MFC was performed by a novel method. Binder-less coating of that side of BC, exposed to the air, with CNTs made a homogeneous coating by which the impedance of the MEA decreased noticeably. On the other side of BC, exposed to anolyte, Nano zycosil (NZ) coating could create a barrier to oxygen cross-over and prevent anolyte leakage. This monolithic MEA structure with a low expense of fabrication is introduced for the first time in this thesis. MFC performance in the presence of the cellulosic MEA compared with the GDE showed higher power density, lower internal resistance, higher...

Analytical Methods, 2020

This study presents a rapid, simple, sensitive, and selective electrochemical sensor prepared usi... more This study presents a rapid, simple, sensitive, and selective electrochemical sensor prepared using a carbon paste electrode for the electrochemical determination of buserelin—an anti-prostate cancer drug.

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine, 2019

AbstractUsing non-drug, non-surgical treatments for improving bone mineral diseases in newborn ba... more AbstractUsing non-drug, non-surgical treatments for improving bone mineral diseases in newborn babies is an important topic for neonatologists. The present study introduces bacterial synthesized ionic nano-hydroxyapatite (Bio-HA) for the development of bone mineral density in the chicken embryo model. In vitro cytotoxicity analyses were demonstrated the optimal concentrations of Bio-HA compared to a chemically-synthesized hydroxyapatite (Ch-HA). Toxicity of Bio-HA on MCF-7 human cell lines was negligible at the concentrations less than 500 μg/mL whereas Ch-HA showed similar results at the concentrations less than 100 μg/mL. Therefore, concentrations at 50 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL were selected for in ovo injection of both materials into the fertilized eggs. The newly hatched chickens were sacrificed in order to monitor their serological factors, total body mass, bone mineral contents and bone mineral density. The results confirmed that Bio-HA increased the average body weight and bone mineral indices of chickens in comparison to the Ch-HA and negative controls (normal saline and intact groups). In view of the intact group, no liver or kidney damage occurred in the groups receiving Bio-HA which promises the effectiveness of these nanoparticles for the treatment of afterbirth bone mineral deficiency.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2018

Photonic printing on transparent substrates using emerging synthetic photonic crystals is in high... more Photonic printing on transparent substrates using emerging synthetic photonic crystals is in high demand, especially for antifraud applications. However, photonic printing is faced with grand challenges including lack of full invisibility of printed patterns before stimulation or after stimulus removal and absence of the long-lasting stability. Natural anisotropic crystal structures and artificially molecularly arranged polymers show an optically anisotropic property known as birefringence. Crystalline cellulose is the most abundant birefringent biocrystal on the earth. Here, we introduce a printing method based on using a cellulose nanocrystal/polymer ink that is governed by surface evaporation phenomenon and divided surface tension forces to direct the self-assembly of ink components at the nanoscale and print three-dimensional birefringent microfigures on transparent substrates. This type of printing is from now on referred to as birefringent printing. Unlike previously reported photonic crystal printing methods, this method is accurate, has high contrast, is virtually impossible to forge, and is very simple, inexpensive, and nontoxic.

Applied Sciences, 2018

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a type of bio-electrochemical system with novel features, such as ... more A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a type of bio-electrochemical system with novel features, such as electricity generation, wastewater treatment, and biosensor applications. In recent years, progressive trends in MFC research on its chemical, electrochemical, and microbiological aspects has resulted in its noticeable applications in the field of sensing. This review was consequently aimed to provide an overview of the most interesting new applications of MFCs in sensors, such as providing the required electrical current and power for remote sensors (energy supply device for sensors) and detection of pollutants, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and specific DNA strands by MFCs without an external analytical device (self-powered biosensors). Moreover, in this review, procedures of MFC operation as a power supply for pH, temperature, and organic loading rate (OLR) sensors, and also self-powered biosensors of toxicity, pollutants, and BOD have been discussed.

Biofuel Research Journal, 2015

HIGHLIGHTS  The performance of different carbon-based cathodes was compared in a dual-chambered ... more HIGHLIGHTS  The performance of different carbon-based cathodes was compared in a dual-chambered microbial fuel cell.  A novel CNT/Pt-coated carbon paper was fabricated.  The maximum current and power generated were 82.38 mA/m 2 and 16.26 mW/m 2 , respectively. Aeration in the cathode compartment was found effective on power generation in MFCs.

Biomacromolecules, 2013

This article focuses on the formation of the surface tension torque (STT) phenomenon close to the... more This article focuses on the formation of the surface tension torque (STT) phenomenon close to the dry-line boundary layer during evaporation of the liquid phase of a solution casted shape-anisotropic nanoparticle suspension (here, cellulose nanowhisker (CNW)) or dissolved polymer (here, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)) and its effects on self-assembly of the cellulose nanocrystals and polymer chains. The results confirm that the STT tends to align both the CNWs and the PVA chains tangential to the dry-line boundary layer. By careful control of the advancement of the dry-line, achieving special linear and curved patterns of both the CNWs and the PVA chains proportional to the mold position and geometry is possible. The STT phenomenon is explained and simplified in terms of a physical model. Understanding of the STT phenomenon and its effects on the alignment and self-assembly of the CNWs and PVA chains is necessary especially when achieving alignment using a modulated external magnetic or electric field is desired. The STT is safe, inexpensive, easy, and efficient, and can be a good alternative to the magnetic and electric field orientation methods.

Electrochimica Acta, 2020

Abstract Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a novel green technology that converts the chemical energy ... more Abstract Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a novel green technology that converts the chemical energy of biodegradable wastes into bioelectricity. One of the greatest challenges in making MFC a scalable and cost-effective technology is electrode material and design. Conductive inks and paints based on carbon materials are attractive options to modify the surface of electrodes. By preparing these paints in a simple way that their raw materials are easily found, the performance of electrodes such as stainless steel mesh (SSM) can be improved in the field of power generation. So, low-cost high performance electrodes can be produced. Despite various binders for making graphite paints (GPs), we used acrylic binder to make the graphite conductive paint by a simple cost-effective process for the first time to the best of our knowledge. By studying the electrochemical characteristics of acrylic-based GP, it was found that the acrylic has high stability in aqueous environments and excellent adhesion properties to hold graphite particles together. As a result, the surface of the SSM was modified using acrylic-based GP and applied as low cost anode electrode with sinusoidal geometry in single chamber MFC (SCMFC). The biofilm formation and its effect on the novel anode were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) during 5 weeks of operation in SCMFC. Then, six individual circuits were created by connecting each anode electrode to an air cathode. The membrane-less SCMFC was able to generate a maximum power density of 463.88 mW/m3 at 1991 mA/m3 using only one of these circuits.

Microbial electrochemical processes are primary platforms for generating electricity or value-add... more Microbial electrochemical processes are primary platforms for generating electricity or value-added products by relying on the interaction between electroactive microorganisms and electrodes by utilizing electron carriers like hydrogen and enzyme through the oxidation–reduction reactions. Microbial electrosynthesis (MES), initially introduced as electricity-driven bioproduction from CO2, offered a novel pathway to produce biochemicals that eventually contribute to the CO2 sequestration. While most of the previous reviews concentrate on these microbial electrochemical platforms jointly referred to as MXC, such as Microbial fuel cell and microbial electrolysis cell, MES has grown tremendously in recent years, requiring a severe update on the scientific information on this topic. In this mini-review, the significant achievements in MES, specifically towards the production of a wide array of specialty chemicals, have been addressed by summarizing the recent scientific breakthroughs of t...

Progress in Natural Science: Materials International

Abstract Finite resources of the world's fossil fuel give rise to the irresistible urge to ex... more Abstract Finite resources of the world's fossil fuel give rise to the irresistible urge to explore alternative renewable energy routes such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The limited productivity is one of the main obstacles for MFC scalability. In this study, a dual-chamber MFC was assembled and equipped with fabricated modified cathodes with titanium dioxide (TiO2) or hybrid graphene (HG) which mainly improved the catalytic activity of the cathode. The graphite paste (GP) bare electrode was modified by both nanomaterials using a green and facile technique. The results showed that the modified cathodes resulted in a considerable improvement for the MFC performance, i.e., the power density reaching levels of 80 mW/m2 for GP-TiO2 and 220 mW/m2 for GP-HG compared to 30 mW/m2 for GP electrode. Additionally, the modified electrodes exhibited lower charge transfer resistance (Rct) compared to the bare electrode. Therefore, these modified electrodes, fabricated by an eco-friendly method, could be used as alternatives to the precious expensive metals like Pt.

Biofuel Research Journal

Materials at the nanoscale show exciting and different properties. In this review, the applicatio... more Materials at the nanoscale show exciting and different properties. In this review, the applications of nanomaterials for modifying the main components of microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems (i.e., electrodes and membranes) and their effect on cell performance are reviewed and critically discussed. Carbon and metal-based nanoparticles and conductive polymers could contribute to the growth of thick anodic and cathodic microbial biofilms, leading to enhanced electron transfer between the electrodes and the biofilm. Extending active surface area, increasing conductivity, and biocompatibility are among the significant attributes of promising nanomaterials used in MFC modifications. The application of nanomaterials in fabricating cathode catalysts (catalyzing oxygen reduction reaction) is also reviewed herein. Among the various nanocatalysts used on the cathode side, metal-based nanocatalysts such as metal oxides and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are regarded as inexpensive and high-perfo...

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

In this study, wet bacterial cellulose (BC) with a water content of more than 98 % was utilized a... more In this study, wet bacterial cellulose (BC) with a water content of more than 98 % was utilized as a novel scaffold to design bioanodes for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). At first, unmodified wet BC was used a bioanode. Then a simple in situ synthesis of polypyrrole (PPYR) at various pyrrole concentrations was subsequently performed on the BC's fibers to generate the novel bioanodes. Characterization of the BC-PPYR nanobiocom-posites was conducted by using ATR-FTIR, XRD, and FESEM. The performance of the nanobiocomposites was studied in a MFC system by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and polarization curves. A power density of 136 mW/m 2 and a current density of 662 mA/m 2 were found for BC-PPYR, which are superior to those of graphite (1 mW/m 2 and 9 mA/m 2 , respectively). The results were attributed to a good adhesion of bacterial cells to the fibrous surface of BC, permanent capillary transfer of nutrients, the conductive content of hydrogel BC, and good conductivity and catalytic activity of PPYR in the nanocomposite.

Journal of Power Sources, 2016

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are one of the possible renewable energy supplies which microorganism... more Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are one of the possible renewable energy supplies which microorganisms play an active role in bio-oxidize reactions of a substrate such as glucose. Electrode materials and surface modifications are highly effective tools in enhancing MFCs' Performance. In this study, new composite anodes are fabricated. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is used as continuous phase and polyaniline (PANI) as dispersed one which is synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization on BC's fibers. With hydrogel nature of BC as a novel feature and polyaniline conductivity there meet the favorable conditions to obtain an active microbial biofilm on anode surface. Maximum power density of 117.76 mW/m 2 in current density of 617 mA/m 2 is achieved for BC/PANI anode. The amounts demonstrate a considerable enhancement compared with graphite plate (1 mW/m 2 and 10 mA/m 2 ).

Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 2015