Self-supporting graphitized palm-branch anodes for enhanced electricity generation from sewage wastewater in membrane-less microbial fuel cells
- 1Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Faisal University 1 , P.O. Box 380, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
- 2Chemical Engineering Department, Minia University 2 , Minya, Egypt
Abstract
A simple strategy was developed to fabricate self-supporting bioanodes from graphitized palm-tree-branch powder for application in membrane-less microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Palm tree branches were graphitized at 900°C, 1000°C and 1100°C, ground into fine powder, blended with bitumen and starch, compression-moulded and thermally treated to produce robust anodes. The resulting electrodes were evaluated in an air-cathode, single-chamber MFC using raw sewage wastewater without external microbial inoculation or nutrient addition. Structural and electrochemical analyses showed that the prepared anodes possessed rough porous surfaces, stable carbon-dominated electrochemical behaviour and improved conductivity compared with an activated-carbon-based anode. Among the investigated samples, the anode prepared from palm branches graphitized at 1000°C exhibited the best overall performance. In sewage containing 5g l−1 sodium acetate, this anode delivered a maximum power density of about 1300 mW m−2, which was nearly 25 times higher than that of the activated-carbon-based anode (approx. 52 mW m−2). Even under electrolyte-free conditions, the same anode generated a maximum power density of about 400 mW m−2, indicating that intrinsically retained inorganic species, particularly KCl, may contribute to sustaining MFC operation without external electrolyte addition. In contrast, NaCl showed a much weaker promoting effect than sodium acetate. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirmed relatively low ohmic and charge-transfer resistances under the optimum condition.
Related
- Application of a Halophilic Consortium for Saline Phenol Wastewater Treatment and Bioelectricity Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells: An AI-Driven Evaluation.
- Genome-resolved metagenomics reveals potential biochemical capabilities of a microbial community in an industrial wastewater membrane bioreactor during performance deterioration and recovery
- From Wastewater to Bio-Hydrogen: Advancing Microbial Electrolysis Cells Through Challenges, Innovations, and Process Integration
- Metabolic responses of microbial consortia to winery wastewater-associated inhibitors.
- Multifunctional polycaprolactone–lignin–silver nanocomposite membranes for simultaneous removal of heavy metal, nutrient and microbial contaminants from wastewater
BibTeX
@article{barakat2026selfsupporting,
title = {{Self-supporting graphitized palm-branch anodes for enhanced electricity generation from sewage wastewater in membrane-less microbial fuel cells}},
author = {Nasser A. M. Barakat and Mahmoud M. Bin and Ibrahim Ashour},
journal = {Royal Society Open Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1098/rsos.261016},
url = {https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/13/10/261016/483789/Self-supporting-graphitized-palm-branch-anodes-for},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Self-supporting graphitized palm-branch anodes for enhanced electricity generation from sewage wastewater in membrane-less microbial fuel cells
AU - Nasser A. M. Barakat
AU - Mahmoud M. Bin
AU - Ibrahim Ashour
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Royal Society Open Science
DO - 10.1098/rsos.261016
UR - https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/13/10/261016/483789/Self-supporting-graphitized-palm-branch-anodes-for
AB - A simple strategy was developed to fabricate self-supporting bioanodes from graphitized palm-tree-branch powder for application in membrane-less microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Palm tree branches were graphitized at 900°C, 1000°C and 1100°C, ground into fine powder, blended with bitumen and starch, compression-moulded and thermally treated to produce robust anodes. The resulting electrodes were evaluated in an air-cathode, single-chamber MFC using raw sewage wastewater without external microbial inoculation or nutrient addition. Structural and electrochemical analyses showed that the prepared anodes possessed rough porous surfaces, stable carbon-dominated electrochemical behaviour and improved conductivity compared with an activated-carbon-based anode. Among the investigated samples, the anode prepared from palm branches graphitized at 1000°C exhibited the best overall performance. In sewage containing 5g l−1 sodium acetate, this anode delivered a maximum power density of about 1300 mW m−2, which was nearly 25 times higher than that of the activated-carbon-based anode (approx. 52 mW m−2). Even under electrolyte-free conditions, the same anode generated a maximum power density of about 400 mW m−2, indicating that intrinsically retained inorganic species, particularly KCl, may contribute to sustaining MFC operation without external electrolyte addition. In contrast, NaCl showed a much weaker promoting effect than sodium acetate. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirmed relatively low ohmic and charge-transfer resistances under the optimum condition.
SN - 2054-5703
ER -