​​

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
Muhammad Arief Shafarifky
Pewee Datoo Kolubah
Rushana Khairova
Sohailh Marie

Related Publications

Sustainable Energy Production from Domestic Wastewater via Bioelectrochemical Reactors Using MXene Efficient Electrodes Decorated with Transition Metal Nanoparticles

by Kolubah, Hedhili, Hassine, Díaz-Rúa, Drautz-Moses, Obaid, Ghaffour, Saikaly, Mohamed, Castaño
J. Environ. Chem. Eng. Year: 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2024.113793

Abstract

This study investigates the role of iron oxide (Fe2O3)-MXene (Ti3C2) based anode on microbial growth to generate clean energy from wastewater using a mediator less MFCs. We combine physical, chemical, and biological methods (microbe metabarcoding) to elucidate the engineered anode structure and the impact of Fe2O3 /Mxene on the growth of microbes, the electron transfer process, and generated power. The results demonstrate that Fe2O3 in the engineered anode facilitates the microbes-anode interaction that improves the attachment of a biofilm predominantly consisting of Acidomonas methanolica(75 % of read counts), which engages in extracellular electron transfer by leveraging the Fe redox cycle during MFC operations, achieving a power density of 2.7 W m–2 and a notable current density of 15 A m–2. The results open perspectives for understanding the role of transition metal oxide in the rational design of anodes targeting specific microbe populations for the practical application of MFCs.

Keywords

EPB CRE