<i>Chlorophytum</i> microbial fuel cell characterization

Abstract

In the present work, solar energy conversion into electricity was evidenced by the Chlorophytum comosum-Microbial Fuel Cell (Chlorophytum-MFC). Our Chlorophytum-MFC had produced an Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) up to 1211 mV, without adding any nutrient or membrane. Plant biomass heigh and anodic bacterial number were proportional to OCV, current Icmax, and power Pmax, and were inversely proportional to the internal resistance Rint thus: 42 cm, 110.103 U/ml, 900 mV, 0.037 mA, 744 µW/m2 and 17 KΩ, respectively, at the 191th day of experiment. We had also highlighted that Chlorophytum-MFC had behaved like a typical fuel cell via polarization and power curves. Also, we had studied the photosynthesis effect on electrical energy production by measuring voltage fluctuation during three successive days and nights. The solar and temperatures influences were also highlighted by comparing weather software data to the measured Open Voltage. The electrogenous activity was clearly proportional to soil and climate temperature as well as to sunlight intensity. The obtained results showed that developing Chlorophytum-MFC could provide significant prospects for p-MFC and bioenergy recovery.