Incorporation of silver graphene oxide and graphene oxide nanoparticles in sulfonated polyether ether ketone membrane for power generation in microbial fuel cell

Kien Ben Liew, Jun Xing Leong, Wan Ramli Wan Daud, Azizan Ahmad, Jenn Jiang Hwang, Wei Wu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

65 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study aims to design a new membrane for Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) applications, where the membrane should have good proton conductivity, low oxygen permeability and anti-biofouling properties. The self-fabricated composite membranes are Graphene Oxide/Sulfonated Polyether Ether Ketone (GO-SPEEK) and Silver Graphene Oxide/Graphene Oxide/Sulfonated Polyether Ether Ketone (AgGO-GO-SPEEK). The proton conductivity of AgGO-GO-SPEEK membrane is 54.2% higher and the oxygen diffusion coefficient is 76.7% lower than Nafion® 117 membrane, yielding higher selectivity as separator in MFC applications. At the earlier optimum stage, MFC with GO-SPEEK generates the highest maximum power density (1134 mW m−2). Voltage achieved for first three feed cycles after enrichment are 620 mV–650 mV for all MFC system. However, the highest maximum power density (896 mW m−3) is attained by MFC with AgGO-GO-SPEEK membrane after 100 days of operation. The Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) results show that AgGO-GO-SPEEK membrane has the lowest increment in terms of the membrane's resistance. AgGO-GO-SPEEK,a better anti-biofouling property membrane, leads to a longer and stable power production, caused by the better ion transport through membrane. The results indicated that AgGO-GO-SPEEK membrane is a promising alternative membrane to replace Nafion® 117 as a separator in the MFC.

Original languageEnglish
Article number227490
JournalJournal of Power Sources
Volume449
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020 Feb 15

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • Energy Engineering and Power Technology
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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