Influence of cellulose separators in coin-sized 3D printed paper-based microbial fuel cells

A uniformly porous, well-structured and disposable paper-based energy harvesting device is essential for making a totally paper-based structure that can work autonomously and self-sustainably. In this context, a cellulose filter paper is used for dual purpose for electrode support as well as a separator. The present work presents a flexible, coin sized fully paper-based microbial fuel cell which can generate a power of 11.8 mu W/cm(2) using E. Coli as the biocatalyst. The electrical conductivity of the electrodes was leveraged using metal based ink and nanoparticles on anode and cathode respectively. This is the first study which reports the impact of separator characteristics on the power production of the fuel cell using six different grades of filter paper. The experiment results show that the separator with small pore size and nominal thickness offer less resistance to mass transfer process. This cost-effective and frugal fabrication of fuel cell can be used indispensably for powering a variety of low power point -of-care devices.

Automated summary

A paper-based microbial fuel cell was developed, utilizing cellulose filter paper for electrode support and separator, which can autonomously generate power using E. Coli as the biocatalyst. The study showed that separators with small pore size and nominal thickness offer less resistance to mass transfer, contributing to improved power production in the fuel cell.