An electrochemical process that uses an Fe⁰/TiO₂ cathode to degrade typical dyes and antibiotics and a bio-anode that produces electricity

Abstract

A bio-electrochemical fuel cell reactor with cathodic Fe⁰/TiO₂ generates electricity.

It destroys recalcitrant pollutants in cathode chamber without photocatalysis.

Fe⁰/TiO₂ generates reactive oxygenated species in the dark or under photocatalysis.

Cathodic produced ROS (hydroxy radical/superoxide radical) can degrade tetracycline or dyes.

Electricity generation is enhanced by semiconductor catalyzed cathodic degradation of pollutants.

In this study, a new water treatment system that couples (photo-) electrochemical catalysis (PEC or EC) in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) was configured using a stainless-steel (SS) cathode coated with Fe⁰/TiO₂. We examined the destruction of methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline. Fe⁰/TiO₂ was prepared using a chemical reduction-deposition method and coated onto an SS wire mesh (500 mesh) using a sol technique. The anode generates electricity using microbes (bio-anode). Connected via wire and ohmic resistance, the system requires a short reaction time and operates at a low cost by effectively removing 94% MB (initial concentration 20 mg·L⁻¹) and 83% TOC/TOC₀ under visible light illumination (50 W; 1.99 mW·cm⁻² for 120 min, MFC-PEC). The removal was similar even without light irradiation (MFC-EC). The E_Eo of the MFC-PEC system was approximately 0.675 kWh·m⁻³·order⁻¹, whereas that of the MFC-EC system was zero. The system was able to remove 70% COD in tetracycline solution (initial tetracycline concentration 100 mg·L⁻¹) after 120 min of visible light illumination; without light, the removal was 15% lower. The destruction of MB and tetracycline in both traditional photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis systems was notably low. The electron spin-resonance spectroscopy (ESR) study demonstrated that ·OH was formed under visible light, and ·O₂⁻ was formed without light. The bio-electricity-activated O₂ and ROS (reactive oxidizing species) generation by Fe⁰/TiO₂ effectively degraded the pollutants. This cathodic degradation improved the electricity generation by accepting and consuming more electrons from the bio-anode.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Bio-anode / Photocatalytic cathode / Fe⁰/TiO₂ / ESR / Dye and antibiotics / Advanced oxidation

References

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21177018) and the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities (B13012). The authors also appreciate the support from the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, Hightower Chair and the Georgia Research Alliance at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Funding

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2016 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg