Ammonia treatment of carbon cloth anodes to enhance power generation of microbial fuel cells

Changes in microbial fuel cell (MFC) architecture, materials, and solution chemistry can be used to increase power generation by microbial fuel cells (MFCs). It is shown here that using a phosphate buffer to increase solution conductivity, and ammonia gas treatment of a carbon cloth anode substantially increased the surface charge of the electrode (from 0.38 to 3.99 meq m−2), and improved MFC performance. Power increased to 1640 mW m−2 (96 W m−3) using a phosphate buffer, and further to 1970 mW m−2 (115 W m−3) using an ammonia-treated electrode. The combined effects of these two treatments boosted power production by 48% compared to previous results using this air-cathode MFC. In addition, the start up time of an MFC was reduced by 50%.