Parametric Performance Investigation on Membraneless Microfluidic Paper Fuel Cell with Graphite Composed Pencil Stoke Electrodes

Membraneless Microfluidic Paper Fuel Cells (MMPFCs) are promising devices to harvest energy for various portable applications. This is primarily because such devices eliminate the need for membrane, and external pumps due to the built-in co-laminar flow, and embedded capillaries, respectively. However, these devices have enormous scope to optimize their performance. Herein, investigations on MMPFC have been carried out with varying electrode separation, whereby cellulose papers acts as the microchannel of MMPFC. Here, various grades of carbon-supported graphite pencils serve as electrodes, formic acid acts as a fuel, and sulphuric acid works as an electrolyte. Oxygen from the atmospheric air acts as an oxidant for ionic exchange under co-laminar flow in the MMPFC. These MMPFCs with the optimized configuration provide enhanced energy densities with different grades of the microchannel material along with variation in electrode separation. Leveraging grade 1 Whatman cellulose paper as MMPFC microchannel with 1 mm electrode separation, the MMPFC generates energy with a maximum open-circuit potential of 0.49 V, a maximum current density of 2.45 mAcm(-2) and power density of 0.26 mWcm(-2).

Automated summary

Membraneless Microfluidic Paper Fuel Cells (MMPFCs) have the advantage of eliminating the need for membrane and external pumps, and can provide enhanced energy densities through optimized configurations.