Electrocatalysis in Microbial Fuel Cells: Low Cost Anode Electrocatalysts for Microbial Fuel Cells (Elektrokatalyse in mikrobiellen Brennstoffzellen)

该项目将致力于低成本电催化剂的基础研究和开发，用于微生物燃料电池中有效和直接氧化还原微生物代谢物的发电。目的是开发一种完全不含贵金属的微生物燃料电池，其性能大大超过现有的微生物燃料电池。这项工作的基础将是对碳化钨基催化剂的电催化(1)对微生物代谢物的氧化，(2)在微生物燃料电池条件下（中性pH值，环境温度）和(3)作为电催化剂的结构，物理和化学性质的功能的第一次彻底和系统的研究。在此基础上，结合电催化和生物催化相互作用的研究，将开发出一种结合高电流密度和库仑产率、高生物相容性和高稳定性的定制电催化剂。

This project will be dedicated to the fundamental investigation and development of low-cost electrocatalysts for an efficient and direct oxidation of reduced microbial metabolites for electricity generation in microbial fuel cells. It is the aim to develop a fully noble metal free microbial fuel cell that considerably exceeds the performance of present microbial fuel cell. Fundament of this endeavour will be the first thorough and systematic investigation of the electrocatalysis at tungsten carbide based catalysts (i) towards the oxidation of microbial metabolites, (ii) under microbial fuel cell conditions (neutral pH, ambient temperature) and (iii) as a function of the structural, physical and chemical properties of the electrocatalyst. Based on this investigation and the study of the interaction of electrocatalysis and biocatalysis a tailored electrocatalyst shall be developed that combines high current densities and coulombic yields, at high biocompatibility and stability.