A clean technology to convert sucrose and lignocellulose in microbial electrochemical cells into electricity and hydrogen

Abstract

Abstract Sulfuric acid hydrolysates of pinewood flour and hazelnut leaves were examined for production of electricity or hydrogen in single-chamber microbial electrochemical cells. Sucrose, which was found in certain lignocellulosic wastes such as sugar cane baggase, was tested in microbial fuel cells as a comparison to the complex structure of the lignocellulosic hydrolysates. Power density and coulombic efficiency levels reached 1995 mW/m2 and 32 ± 1%, respectively, using sucrose as carbon source. More than 88% of chemical oxygen demand was removed during this operation. The hydrolysate of pinewood flour hydrolysate generated 0.43 V of electricity at 1000 Ω external resistance. Hazelnut leaves were found to be good substrates for hydrogen gas production in MECs, with no methane production. Our results showed that lignocellulosic hydrolysates could be as efficient as the simple sugar sucrose to generate environmentally friendly electricity and hydrogen in single chamber MFCs and MECs.