TY - JOUR
T1 - Internal resistance of microfluidic microbial fuel cell
T2 - Challenges and potential opportunities
AU - ElMekawy, Ahmed
AU - Hegab, Hanaa M.
AU - Dominguez-Benetton, Xochitl
AU - Pant, Deepak
PY - 2013/8
Y1 - 2013/8
N2 - The efficiency of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is affected by several factors such as activation overpotentials, ohmic losses and concentration polarization. These factors are handled in micro-sized MFCs using special electrodes with physically or chemically modified surfaces constructed with specified materials. Most of the existing μLscale MFCs show great potential in rapid screening of electrochemically-active microbes and electrode performance; although they generate significantly lower volumetric power density compared with their mL counterparts because of their high internal resistance. This review presents the development of microfluidic MFCs, with summarization of their advantages and challenges, and focuses on the efforts done to minimize the adverse effects of internal resistance (ohmic and non-ohmic) on their performance.
AB - The efficiency of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is affected by several factors such as activation overpotentials, ohmic losses and concentration polarization. These factors are handled in micro-sized MFCs using special electrodes with physically or chemically modified surfaces constructed with specified materials. Most of the existing μLscale MFCs show great potential in rapid screening of electrochemically-active microbes and electrode performance; although they generate significantly lower volumetric power density compared with their mL counterparts because of their high internal resistance. This review presents the development of microfluidic MFCs, with summarization of their advantages and challenges, and focuses on the efforts done to minimize the adverse effects of internal resistance (ohmic and non-ohmic) on their performance.
KW - Internal resistance
KW - Microelectromechanical systems
KW - Microfluidic microbial fuel cell
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84879840437&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.05.061
DO - 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.05.061
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:84879840437
SN - 0960-8524
VL - 142
SP - 672
EP - 682
JO - Bioresource Technology
JF - Bioresource Technology
ER -