Title : Polymer nanocomposites for microbial fuel cells
Abstract:
With the burgeoning energy demand, an alternative source for energy recovery has been under rapid investigation recently. Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) a bioelectrochemical device that utilizes the oxidation of organic compounds directly into electricity. The recent massive research on MFC can be related to its dual application in bioelectricity production, along with simultaneous wastewater treatment. Among the parameters studied, membranes in MFC play an ideal role of electrode separation, inhibiting crossover, and maintaining the integrity. Traditionally, Nafion®117 has been utilized as the standard for many types of fuel cells. However, the fluorinated backbone, cost, and fuel crossover research have been oriented towards alternative polymers with superior characteristics. Our research group focuses on biodegradable polymers such as 1,4-polyphenylene ether ether sulfone (PEES) and polyether ether ketone (PEEK), which have been sulphonated to improve ion conductivity. The direct sulphonation promotes better ion transfer compared to Nafion, where the proton heads responsible for ion exchange are located in the side chain. Additionally, nanoparticles in the sulphonated form were dispersed in the polymer solution to create polymer nanocomposites, promoting both the Grotthus and vehicular mechanisms of ion transfer. The present research will emphasize various polymer nanocomposites and their improved characteristics for their application in MFC. Major characterization techniques used for identification and the membrane properties required are discussed in detail. Further, the performance of polymer nanocomposites will be elaborated.
