Enset Plant Corm Derived Reduced Graphene Oxide (E-RGO/FE3O4/PANI) Nanocomposite for Energy Production and Toxic Metal Bioremediation Via Microbial Fuel Cells

  • Getabalew Shifera Weldegrum Department of Chemistry, Mettu University, Mettu Ethiopia, P.O.Box 318
  • Demise Alebachew Department of Chemistry, Mettu University, Mettu Ethiopia, P.O.Box 318
  • Aknachew Mebreku Demeku Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106335, Taiwan
  • Tekalign Tesfaye Department of Chemistry, Mettu University, Mettu Ethiopia, P.O.Box 318
  • Endashaw Tilahun Gizawu Department of physics, Woldia university, Woldia 400 , Ethiopia
  • Nigus Maregu Demewoz Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
  • Beshir A. Hussein Department of Chemistry,MekdelaAmba University, Ethiopia, P.O.Box 32
  • Shimeles Addisu Kitte Department of Chemistry, Jimma University, Jimma Ethiopia, P.O.Box 378
  • Cheru Talibachew Haile Department of physics, Debre Berhan University, P.O. Box: 445, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia

Abstract

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology is currently receiving a great deal of attention as a promising and sustainable technology for generating electricity and reducing environmental pollution. However, low energy generation and the cost of producing anode materials have hindered the commercial viability of MFCs. In this work, the double chamber of MFCs was equipped with an anode made of enset corm biomass-waste-derived graphene derivatives (E-rGO). Furthermore, composite-based anodes (E-rGO/Fe3O4 and E-rGO/Fe3O4/PANI) have been developed to remediate Cr (VI) and Pb (II) ions in wastewater while producing energy in order to increase the electron transmission rate. The synthesis materials were analyzed through UV-Vis, SEM, and XRD, FTIR, RAMA and TGA spectroscopy to examine their optical, morphological, structural properties, molecular vibration states, structural defects, and thermal stability of the materials, respectively. CV and EIS were also utilized to investigate the electrochemical characteristics of the synthesized materials. For Cr (VI), the anodes made using E-rGO, E-rGO/Fe3O4, and E-rGO/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposites (NCs) had remediation efficiencies of 70.6%, 79.2%, and 88.3%, while for Pb (II), they were 65.1%, 73.8%, and 86.5%.Furthermore, the composite anode (E-rGO/Fe3O4/PANI NCs) delivered a maximum power density of (63mW/m2) and a current density of (1312mA/m2), higher than E-rGO and E-rGO/Fe3O4 modified anode electrode power density (8.75 and 39.77mW/m2) and current density (609 and 1171 mA/m2), respectively.

KEYWORDS: Anode modification, Energy production, Graphene Oxide, Microbial fuel cells, Wastewater treatment

 

Published
2025-07-29
Issue
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2025)
Section
Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).