Photopolymer-Based Carbon with Iron Nanoparticles as Electrodes in Microbial Fuel Cells for Efficient Industrial Effluent Wastewater Treatment

Accelerated industrial development demands the search for efficient remediation technologies. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have the capacity to remediate organic matter-rich effluent by utilizing bacteria as biocatalysts capable of oxidizing organic material while simultaneously producing electricity. In this paper, a novel electrode is prepared through the carbonization of a tailored photopolymer with iron nanoparticles and carbon black (C-iNPCB) and its performance tested as an anode using dual chamber MFCs for the remediation of paper recycling plant effluent. Its efficiency is compared to a graphite rod (GR) and a carbon black-coated 3D-printed structure (3D-CB). The paper effluent containing chemical oxygen demand 5.0 g/L was used as feedstock in the MFCs. The GR anode (0.91 A/m2; 0.32 W/m2) and 3D-CB anode (0.88 A/m2; 0.30 W/m2) both achieved 56% COD removal, while the C-iNPCB-anode (5.71 A/m2; 3.75 W/m2) was the best performing, with over 80% COD removal. The photopolymerized doped anode exhibited superior performance in terms of both organic matter oxidation and conductivity, indicating higher effectiveness of this type of electrode in MFC technology.