Microbial Fuel Cell Using a Novel Ionic Liquid-Type Membrane-Cathode Assembly for Animal Slurry Treatment and Fertilizer Production

The implementation of a microbial fuel cell for wastewater treatment and bioenergy production requires a cost reduction, especially when it comes to the ion exchange membrane part and the catalysts needed for this purpose. Ionic liquids in their immobilized phase in proton exchange membranes and non-noble catalysts, as alternatives to conventional systems, have been intensively investigated in recent years. In the present study, a new microbial fuel cell technology, based on an ionic liquid membrane assembly for CoCu mixed oxide catalysts, is proposed to treat animal slurry. The new low-cost membrane-cathode system is prepared in one single step, thus simplifying the manufacturing process of a membrane-cathode system. The novel MFCs based on the new low-cost membrane-cathode system achieved up to 51% of the power reached when platinum was used as a catalyst. Furthermore, the removal of organic matter in suspension after 12 days was higher than that achieved with a conventional system based on the use of platinum catalysts. Moreover, struvite, a precipitate consisting of ammonium, magnesium, and phosphate, which could be used as a fertilizer, was recovered using this membrane-cathode system.