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Design and development of unconventional catalytic conversion processes using electrons, photons, and microorganisms

Problem statement

Our long-term commitment to sustainability and a circular carbon economy involves unconventional catalytic conversion processes. We study various processes assisted by electrons, photons, or microorganisms to produce biofuels, chemicals, electricity, or treated water. For example, bio-electro-chemical systems, including microbial fuel cells (MFCs), electrolysis cells (MECs), and photo-assisted cells (PA-MECs), are promising technologies to simultaneously produce renewable energy and clean wastewater using active microorganisms as biocatalysts.

Our work aims to synthesize multi-functional catalysts and reactors to enhance electrical conductivity, photo-efficiency, microbiological affinity, porosity, hydrophilicity, and surface area for carbonaceous electrodes. We work with materials such as graphene oxide, metallic nanoparticles, nitride and carbide basic materials, and MXenes.

We consider new platform technologies to produce renewable biofuel and chemicals and treat wastewater using the nanotechnology and reaction engineering approach as an innovative combination to increase the productivity of these processes.

Goals

  • Develop and scale up electro-photo-bio-catalyst and -reactors
  • Propose novel processes to clean wastewater and produce electricity, chemicals, and bio-hydrogen
  • Model and simulate fuel cell performance
  • Use innovative catalysts (anode and cathode material) and reactor designs to improve fuel cell performance
EPB2023

Related People

Hend Omar Mohamed
Pewee Datoo Kolubah

Related Publications

Enhancing power generation in microbial fuel cell using tungsten carbide on reduced graphene oxide as an efficient anode catalyst material

by Mohamed, Abo Talas, Sayed, Park, Eisa, Abdelkareem, Fadali, Chae, Castaño
Energy Year: 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.120702

Abstract

Tungsten carbide (WC) and tungsten carbide on reduced graphene oxide (WC + rGO) nanolayers show outstanding performance as anode catalysts in microbial fuel cells for the simultaneous generation of power and treatment of wastewater. In this work, we synthesized these catalysts using simple and cost-effective urea glass route and reduction-carburization techniques. The pristine carbon felt (CF), WC/CF, and WC + rGO/CF anodes were characterized using several techniques and tested in a practical microbial fuel cell using industrial wastewater. We found that the unique features of WC/CF and WC + rGO/CF anodes, i.e., the surface area, biocompatibility, structure morphology, and catalytic activity, resulted in significant performance improvements. In particular, WC + rGO/CF exhibited a 4.4-, 7.6-, and 2.1-fold power density, current density, and coulombic efficiency, respectively, relative to the benchmark CF anode. This study confirms the potential use of WC + rGO/CF as a viable anode catalyst in microbial fuel cells on a larger scale.

Keywords

EPB HCE