The Role of Natural Laccase Redox Mediators in Simultaneous Dye Decolorization and Power Production in Microbial Fuel Cells

Priyadharshini Mani, Vallam Thodi Fidal Kumar, Taj Keshavarz, T. Sainathan Chandra and Godfrey Kyazze
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Priyadharshini Mani: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6UW, UK
Vallam Thodi Fidal Kumar: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (Madras), Chennai 600036, India
Taj Keshavarz: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6UW, UK
T. Sainathan Chandra: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (Madras), Chennai 600036, India
Godfrey Kyazze: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6UW, UK

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: Redox mediators could be used to improve the efficiency of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) by enhancing electron transfer rates and decreasing charge transfer resistance at electrodes. However, many artificial redox mediators are expensive and/or toxic. In this study, laccase enzyme was employed as a biocathode of MFCs in the presence of two natural redox mediators (syringaldehyde (Syr) and acetosyringone (As)), and for comparison, a commonly-used artificial mediator 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) was used to investigate their influence on azo dye decolorization and power production. The redox properties of the mediator-laccase systems were studied by cyclic voltammetry. The presence of ABTS and As increased power density from 54.7 ± 3.5 mW m −2 (control) to 77.2 ± 4.2 mW m −2 and 62.5 ± 3.7 mW m −2 respectively. The power decreased to 23.2 ± 2.1 mW m −2 for laccase with Syr. The cathodic decolorization of Acid orange 7 (AO7) by laccase indicated a 12–16% increase in decolorization efficiency with addition of mediators; and the Laccase-Acetosyringone system was the fastest, with 94% of original dye (100 mgL −1 ) decolorized within 24 h. Electrochemical analysis to determine the redox properties of the mediators revealed that syringaldehyde did not produce any redox peaks, inferring that it was oxidized by laccase to other products, making it unavailable as a mediator, while acetosyringone and ABTS revealed two redox couples demonstrating the redox mediator properties of these compounds. Thus, acetosyringone served as an efficient natural redox mediator for laccase, aiding in increasing the rate of dye decolorization and power production in MFCs. Taken together, the results suggest that natural laccase redox mediators could have the potential to improve dye decolorization and power density in microbial fuel cells.

Keywords: acetosyringone; dye decolorization; laccase; natural redox mediators; power density; syringaldehyde (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: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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