ZrP2O7 as a Cathodic Material in Single-Chamber MFC for Bioenergy Production

The present work is the first investigation of the electrocatalytic performances of ZrP2O7as a cathode in a single-chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) for the conversion of chemical energyfrom wastewater to bioelectricity. This catalyst was prepared by a coprecipitation method, thencharacterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR),scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectrophotometry (UV-Vis-NIR), and cyclic voltammetry analyses. The acid-basiccharacteristics of the surface were probed by using 2-butanol decomposition. The conversion of2-butanol occurs essentially through the dehydrating reaction, indicating the predominantly acidiccharacter of the solid. The electrochemical test shows that the studied cathode material is electroactive.In addition, the ZrP2O7in the MFC configuration exhibited high performance in terms of bioelectricitygeneration, giving a maximum output power density of around 449 mW m-2; moreover, it was active for wastewater treatment, reducing the chemical oxygen demand (COD) charge to 50% after threedays of reaction.