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AssigneesJapan Science and Technology Agency, The University of Tokyo
InventorsKazuhito Hashimoto, Ryuhei Nakamura, Fumiyoshi Kai, Kazuya Watanabe, Soichiro Kato
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It is an object of the present invention to provide a microbial fuel cell capable of increasing a current density without employing a mediator. The microbial fuel cell 1 includes a 3-dimensionally structured agglomerate formed from conductive fine particles 2 and microorganisms 3. In the agglomerate 4, the conductive fine particles 2 disperse among pieces of Shewanella 3 and the conductive fine particles 2 are coupled to one another to hold Shewanella 3, thus forming the 3-dimensional structure as a whole. Accordingly, with respect to Shewanella 3, conductive fine particles 2 hold Shewanella 3a on a surface of an electrode 103 and even Shewanella 3b positioned vertically away from the surface of the electrode 103. Hence, it becomes possible that more pieces of Shewanella 3 are allowed to transfer electrons.
A microbial fuel cell equipped with a pair of electrodes and an external circuit electrically connecting a pair of said electrodes, wherein on a negative electrode that is one of said electrodes, 3-dimensionally structured agglomerates are formed in a solution containing conductive fine particles and microorganisms with an extracellular electron transfer capability and then said conductive fine particles transfer electrons from said microorganisms to said negative electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.