Enhancing Microbial Fuel Cells with Nickel Silicide Nanowires in 3D Structures
Key Ideas
- Nickel silicide nanowires incorporated into a 3D nickel-based structure significantly improve power output and current density in microbial fuel cells.
- Nutrient broth proves to be the most effective charge transfer medium, surpassing glucose and urea by 3 and 5 times, respectively.
- The study highlights the role of nanowires in enhancing charge transfer and sustaining high-current performance in microbial fuel cells, paving the way for advancements in energy harvesting systems.
- Utilizing nickel silicide nanowires offers improved stability and performance in microbial fuel cell anodes by mitigating corrosion-related issues.
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology for clean energy harvesting, generating electricity from organic materials through microorganisms' metabolic processes. The article introduces nickel silicide nanowires as anode materials for MFCs, forming a 3D structure on nickel foam. These nanowires significantly improve power output and current density in a microfluidic MFC system, achieving a 2.5-fold increase in power and a 4-fold boost in current compared to bare nickel foam. Nutrient broth proves to be the most effective charge transfer medium, outperforming glucose and urea. The study emphasizes the role of nanowires in enhancing charge transfer and sustaining high-current performance, offering advancements in MFC technology for energy harvesting systems. Transition metal silicides like nickel silicide nanowires offer improved stability and performance in MFC anodes by addressing corrosion-related issues. The research demonstrates the potential of nanomaterials and 3D structures in enhancing MFC efficiency and effectiveness, providing a foundation for further developments in clean energy technology.