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Algal biomass derived biochar anode for efficient extracellular electron uptake from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

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Abstract

The development of cost-effective and highly efficient anode materials for extracellular electron uptake is important to improve the electricity generation of bioelectrochemical systems. An effective approach to mitigate harmful algal bloom (HAB) is mechanical harvesting of algal biomass, thus subsequent processing for the collected algal biomass is desired. In this study, a low-cost biochar derived from algal biomass via pyrolysis was utilized as an anode material for efficient electron uptake. Electrochemical properties of the algal biochar and graphite plate electrodes were characterized in a bioelectrochemical system (BES). Compared with graphite plate electrode, the algal biochar electrode could effectively utilize both indirect and direct electron transfer pathways for current production, and showed stronger electrochemical response and better adsorption of redox mediators. The maximum current density of algal biochar anode was about 4.1 times higher than graphite plate anode in BES. This work provides an application potential for collected HAB to develop a cost-effective anode material for efficient extracellular electron uptake in BES and to achieve waste resource utilization.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 21477121 and 51538012) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Yan-Shan Wang, Dao-Bo Li, Feng Zhang, Zhong-Hua Tong & Han-Qing Yu

  2. Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Zhong-Hua Tong

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  1. Yan-Shan Wang
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  2. Dao-Bo Li
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  3. Feng Zhang
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  4. Zhong-Hua Tong
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Correspondence to Zhong-Hua Tong.

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Wang, YS., Li, DB., Zhang, F. et al. Algal biomass derived biochar anode for efficient extracellular electron uptake from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. 12, 11 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-018-1072-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-018-1072-5

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