Ameliorating Cu2+ reduction in microbial fuel cell with Z-scheme BiFeO3 decorated on flower-like ZnO composite photocathode

BiFeO3 nanoparticle decorated on flower-like ZnO (BiFeO3/ZnO) was fabricated through a facile hydrothermal-reflux combined method. This material was utilized as a composite photocathode for the first time in microbial fuel cell (MFC) to reduce the copper ion (Cu2+) and power generation concomitantly...

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Main Authors: Lam, S.-M., Sin, J.-C., Zeng, H., Lin, H., Li, H., Mohamed, A.R., Lim, J.W.
Format: Article
Institution: Universiti Teknologi Petronas
Record Id / ISBN-0: utp-eprints.28897 /
Published: Elsevier Ltd 2022
Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85115951673&doi=10.1016%2fj.chemosphere.2021.132384&partnerID=40&md5=8878b16003d9cb766f096ce079f1f756
http://eprints.utp.edu.my/28897/
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Summary: BiFeO3 nanoparticle decorated on flower-like ZnO (BiFeO3/ZnO) was fabricated through a facile hydrothermal-reflux combined method. This material was utilized as a composite photocathode for the first time in microbial fuel cell (MFC) to reduce the copper ion (Cu2+) and power generation concomitantly. The resultant BiFeO3/ZnO-based MFC displayed distinct photoelectrocatalytic activities when different weight percentages (wt) BiFeO3 were used. The 3 wt BiFeO3/ZnO MFC achieved the maximum power density of 1.301 W m�2 in the catholyte contained 200 mg L�1 of Cu2+ and the power density was greatly higher than those pure ZnO and pure BiFeO3 photocathodes. Meanwhile, the MFC exhibited 90.7 removal of Cu2+ within 6 h under sunlight exposure at catholyte pH 4. The addition of BiFeO3 nanoparticles not only manifested outstanding capability in harvesting visible light, but also facilitated the formation of Z-scheme BiFeO3/ZnO heterojunction structure to induce the charge carrier transfer along with enhanced redox abilities for the cathodic reduction. The pronounced electrical output and Cu2+ reduction efficiencies can be realized through the synergistic cooperation between the bioanode and BiFeO3/ZnO photocathode in the MFC. Furthermore, the developed BiFeO3/ZnO composite presented a good stability and reusability of photoelectrocatalytic activity up to five cyclic runs. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd