Effects of bicarbonate and cathode potential on hydrogen production in a biocathode electrolysis cell

作     者：Dawei LIANG Yanyan LIU Sikan PENG Fei LAN Shanfu LU Yan XIANG 

作者机构：Key Laboratory of Bio-lnspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemistry & Environment Beihang University Beijing 100191 China Beijing Key Laboratory for Advanced Functional Materials and Thin Fihn Technology Beihang University Beijing 100191 China 

出 版 物：《Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering》 (环境科学与工程前沿（英文）)

年 卷 期：2014年第8卷第4期

页      面：624-630页

核心收录：

学科分类：083002[工学-环境工程] 0830[工学-环境科学与工程（可授工学、理学、农学学位）] 081702[工学-化学工艺] 08[工学] 0817[工学-化学工程与技术] 

基　　金：This work was financial supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51108014  21373022  21073010  21003007 and Ul137602)  National Major Research Program (No. 2011CB935700)  Beijing Nova Program (Z1311090004 13008)  Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (YWF- 10-03-021)  Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20111102120045) and Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University 

主　　题：microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) biocathode hydrogen production bicarbonate cathode potential 

摘      要：A biocathode with microbial catalyst in place of a noble metal was successfully developed for hydrogen evolution in a microbial electrolysis cell （MEC）. The strategy for fast biocathode cultivation was demonstrated. An exoelectrogenic reaction was initially extended with an H2-full atmosphere to enrich Ha-utilizing bacteria in a MEC bioanode. This bioanode was then inversely polarized with an applied voltage in a half-cell to enrich the hydrogen-evolving biocathode. The electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction （HER） kinetics of the biocathode MEC could be enhanced by increasing the bicarbonate buffer concentration from 0.05 mol·L-1 to 0.5 mol· L-1 and/or by decreasing the cathode potential from -0.9 V to - 1.3 V vs. a saturated calomel electrode （SCE）. Within the tested potential region in this study, the HER rate of the biocathode MEC was primarily influenced by the microbial catalytic capability. In addition, increasing bicarbonate concentration enhances the electric migration rate of proton carriers. As a consequence, more mass H＋ can be released to accelerate the biocathode-catalyzed HER rate. A hydrogen production rate of 8.44 m3. m 3. d1 with a current density of 951.6 A. m-3 was obtained using the biocathode MEC under a cathode potential of - 1.3 V vs. SCE and 0.4 mol· L-1 bicarbonate. This study provided information on the optimization of hydrogen production in biocathode MEC and expanded the practical applications thereof.