Feasibility of Using Electrodes with Ultralow Pt Loading in Two-Chamber Microbial Electrolysis Cells

Eunjin Jwa, Mijin Kim, Ji-Hyung Han, Namjo Jeong, Hyun-Chul Kim, Yeo-Myeong Yun and Joo-Youn Nam
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Eunjin Jwa: Marine Energy Convergence and Integration Research Team, Jeju Global Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, 200 Haemajihaean-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju 63357, Korea
Mijin Kim: Jeju Groundwater Research Center, Jeju Research Institute, 253, Ayron-ro, Jeju 63147, Korea
Ji-Hyung Han: Marine Energy Convergence and Integration Research Team, Jeju Global Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, 200 Haemajihaean-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju 63357, Korea
Namjo Jeong: Marine Energy Convergence and Integration Research Team, Jeju Global Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, 200 Haemajihaean-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju 63357, Korea
Hyun-Chul Kim: Research Institute for Advanced Industrial Technology, College of Science and Technology, Korea University, Sejong 30019, Korea
Yeo-Myeong Yun: Department of Environmental Engineering, Chungbuk National University, 1 Chungdae-ro, Seowon-gu, Cheongju 28544, Korea
Joo-Youn Nam: Marine Energy Convergence and Integration Research Team, Jeju Global Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, 200 Haemajihaean-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju 63357, Korea

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-9

Abstract: Decreasing the Pt loading and surface area of the cathode was found to accelerate the hydrogen evolution reaction in microbial electrolysis cells (MEC) at low substrate concentrations. The experimental wire cathode used in this study had a reduced Pt loading of 20 µg Pt/cm 2 and only 14% of the surface area of the control disk-type cathode. With the wire cathodes, peak current densities of 33.1 ± 2.3 A/m 2 to 30.4 ± 0.5 A/m 2 were obtained at substrate concentrations of 0.4 g/L and 1.0 g/L, respectively, which were 5.4 to 6.2 times higher than those obtained with the disk electrode (5.1–5.7 A/m 2 ). The higher cathode overpotentials and higher current densities obtained with the wire electrode compared to those observed with the disk electrode were advantageous for hydrogen recovery, energy recovery efficiencies, and the hydrogen volume produced (8.5 ± 1.2 mL at 0.4 g/L to 23.0 ± 2.2 mL at 1.0 g/L with the wire electrode; 6.8 ± 0.4 mL at 0.4 g/L to 21.8 ± 2.2 mL at 1.0 g/L with the disk electrode). Therefore, the wire electrode, which used only 0.6% of the Pt catalyst amount in typical disk-type electrodes (0.5 mg Pt/cm 2 ), was effective at various substrate concentrations. The results of this study are very promising because the capital cost of the MEC reactors can be greatly reduced if the wire-type electrodes with ultralow Pt loading are utilized in field applications.

Keywords: cathode; electrode size; energy recovery; hydrogen production; microbial electrolysis cell; Pt loading (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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