Epipremnum aureum and Dracaena braunii as indoor plants for enhanced bio-electricity generation in a plant microbial fuel cell with electrochemically modified carbon fiber brush anode

Abstract

In this study, two different unexploited indoor plants, Epipremnum aureum and Dracaena braunii were used to produce clean and sustainable bio-electricity in a plant microbial fuel cell (PMFC). Acid modified carbon fiber brush electrodes as well as bare electrodes were used in both the PMFCs. A bentonite based clay membrane was successfully integrated in the PMFCs. Maximum performance of E.aureum was 620mV which was 188mV higher potential than D.braunii. The bio-electricity generation using modified electrode was 154mV higher than the bare carbon fiber, probably due to the effective bacterial attachment to the carbon fiber owing to hydrogen bonding. Maximum power output of 15.38mW/m2 was obtained by E.aureum with an internal resistance of 200Ω. Higher biomass yield was also obtained in case of E.aureum during 60 days of experiment, which may correlate with the higher bio-electricity generation than D.braunii.