Scientists from China developed a fuel cell system that can both generate electricity from organic compounds and clean up wastewater.
Scientists from China developed a fuel cell system that can both generate electricity from organic compounds and clean up wastewater.
The scientists created a photocatalytic fuel cell composed of titanium oxide nanotube array anode and a platinum-based cathode. The fuel cell uses light energy to degrade organic compounds in wastewater and to produce electrons that will pass through the cathode, which will convert chemical to electrical energy.
According to lead researcher Yanbiao Liu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, organic compounds in wastewater are important sources of energy and to find out sustainable approaches to recover energy from waste is in demand.
The scientists used the cell to clear the different impurities and compounds such as aromatics, azo dyes, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and endocrine-disrupting compounds from the wastewater samples. They found out that the cell degraded the compounds to generate electricity.
Mr. Liu said that the system makes use of visible light and solar light instead of ultraviolet light as a catalyst when the electrodes with semiconductors are modified, like when one is using cadmium sulfide. Thus, the fuel cell system can be used outdoors to treat wastewater.
An assessor of fuel cells and environmental remediation at the University of Notre Dame in the United States, Prashant Kamat, said that the team has extended well-established photocatalytic and fuel cell concepts. He commented that it is crucial to choose the right semiconductor photocatalyst when combining environmental remediation with solar energy conversion.
"One needs to exercise caution while using visible light absorbing semiconductors such as cadmium sulfide, as it is known to undergo anodic corrosion, especially when the organic contaminant level becomes low," he added.
There have been a number of fuel cell systems that were created and designed to store heat from various sources. However, this technology is important in producing or recycling waste energy lost in wastewater each year.
The study was recently published in the journal Chemical Communications. Mr. Liu said the fuel cell system is a laboratory prototype that can still be improved for other practical environmental applications.
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