In this work, the use of lithium niobate (LiNbO3), a ferroelectric and photocatalyst material, is investi- gated as a new type of cathode catalyst for wastewater-fed single-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Car...In this work, the use of lithium niobate (LiNbO3), a ferroelectric and photocatalyst material, is investi- gated as a new type of cathode catalyst for wastewater-fed single-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Carbon cloth electrodes coated with LiNbO3 were studied with and without UV-vis irradiation to assess its photocatalytic behavior in these devices. The synthesized phase of LiNbO3 was characterized by X- ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, particle size distribution, and transmission electron microscopy analyses. The MFC containing a LiNbO3-based cathode exhibited a maximum open circuit potential and power output of 400 mV and 131 mW/m^3, respectively, under irradiation. This cathode configuration also achieved the maximum chemical oxygen demand removal of 84% after 120 h of MFC operation. These results show that ferroelectric materials such as LiNbO3 could be used as cathode cat- alysts in MFC devices. As a complementary analysis, the removal of the heavy metals detected in the wastewater was also monitored.展开更多
文摘In this work, the use of lithium niobate (LiNbO3), a ferroelectric and photocatalyst material, is investi- gated as a new type of cathode catalyst for wastewater-fed single-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Carbon cloth electrodes coated with LiNbO3 were studied with and without UV-vis irradiation to assess its photocatalytic behavior in these devices. The synthesized phase of LiNbO3 was characterized by X- ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, particle size distribution, and transmission electron microscopy analyses. The MFC containing a LiNbO3-based cathode exhibited a maximum open circuit potential and power output of 400 mV and 131 mW/m^3, respectively, under irradiation. This cathode configuration also achieved the maximum chemical oxygen demand removal of 84% after 120 h of MFC operation. These results show that ferroelectric materials such as LiNbO3 could be used as cathode cat- alysts in MFC devices. As a complementary analysis, the removal of the heavy metals detected in the wastewater was also monitored.