Photomicrobiotic Fuel Cells

• PFC or p-MFC

• Photosynthetic organisms convert light energy into electricity

• Biological process waste products CO2 and NH3 used as fuels

• Water oxidized under illumination to produce oxygen, electrons,

and protons

• Sodium Acetate as catalyst

Process Example

• Fresh pond water cultivated to allow for algal growth

• Cathode half-cells inoculated to allow biofilm establishment and

electron colonization

• Carbon veil cathodes create corrosion resistant barriers

• Anodes inoculated activated anaerobic sludge mixed with .1M

of sodium acetate which was added again as needed
Energy Production

• 128 µW

• Low Power Densities

• Cheap to maintain

• Not yet developed

enough for commercial
use
Works Cited
[1] “Amazing algae photos”, Algae World News, 22 Jan. 2019, http://news.algaeworld.org/amazing-algae-photos/
[2] Zhang, Yifeng, et al. “Simultaneous Organic Carbon, Nutrients Removal and Energy Production in a
Photomicrobial Fuel Cell (PFC).” ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, vol. 4, no. 10, pp. 4340–
4346. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1039/c1ee02089g. Accessed 22 Jan. 2019.
[3] Zhao, Nannan, et al. “Electricity Generation and Microbial Communities in Microbial Fuel Cell Powered by
Macroalgal Biomass.” BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY, vol. 123, pp. 145–149. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1016/j.bioelechem.2018.05.002. Accessed 22 Jan. 2019.
[4] Gajda, Iwona, et al. “Research Paper: Self-Sustainable Electricity Production from Algae Grown in a Microbial
Fuel Cell System.” Biomass and Bioenergy, vol. 82, Nov. 2015, pp. 87–93. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2015.05.017
[5] McCormick, Alistair J., et al. “Biophotovoltaics: Oxygenic Photosynthetic Organisms in the World of
Bioelectrochemical Systems.” ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, vol. 8, no. 4, 2015, pp. 1092–
1109. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1039/c4ee03875d.