Innovative Cost-Effective Nano-NiCo 2 O 4 Cathode Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction in Air–Cathode Microbial Electrochemical Systems

Qixing Zhou (), Ruixiang Li, Xiaolin Zhang and Tian Li
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Qixing Zhou: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
Ruixiang Li: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
Xiaolin Zhang: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
Tian Li: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-11

Abstract: Microbial electrochemical systems (MESs) can harvest bioelectricity from varieties of organic matter in wastewater through electroactive microorganisms. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in a cathode plays an important role in guaranteeing high power generation, which can be enhanced by cathode catalysts. Herein, the tiny crystalline grain nanocrystal NiCo 2 O 4 is prepared via the economic method and utilized as an effective catalyst in air–cathode MESs. The linear sweep voltammetry results indicate that the current density of 2% nano-NiCo 2 O 4 /AC cathode (5.05 A/m 2 ) at 0 V increases by 20% compared to the control (4.21 A/m 2 ). The cyclic voltammetries (CVs) and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that the addition of nano-NiCo 2 O 4 (2%) is efficient in boosting the redox activity. The polarization curves showed that the MESs with 2% nano-NiCo 2 O 4 /AC achieved the highest maximum power density (1661 ± 28 mW/m 2 ), which was 1.11 and 1.22 times as much as that of AC and 5% nano-NiCo 2 O 4 . Moreover, the adulteration of nano-NiCo 2 O 4 with a content of 2% can not only enable the electrical activity of the electrode to be more stable, but also reduce the cost for the same power generation in MESs. The synthetic nano-NiCo 2 O 4 undoubtedly has great benefits for large-scale MESs in wastewater treatment.

Keywords: advanced green material; nano-NiCo 2 O 4; wastewater treatment; oxygen reduction; green energy conversion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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