# US 2021/0280888 A1 · Microbial fuel cell

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- Number: US 2021/0280888 A1
- Document ID: US20210280888A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/317,874
- Filed: 2017-05-25
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-26
- Assignees: Panasonic Corporation
- Applicants: Panasonic Corporation
- Inventors: Naoki YOSHIKAWA; Kota KURAHATA; Ryo KAMAI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280888A1

## CPC

- H01M 8/16: Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
- H01M 4/96: Carbon-based electrodes
- H01M 2004/8684: {Negative electrodes}
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A microbial fuel cell (1) includes: a negative electrode (10) composed of a carbon material (11) formed by laminating a plurality of graphenes (12) on one another, in which an area of exposed surfaces of the carbon material, the exposed surfaces going along a lamination direction (X) of the graphenes, with respect to a volume of the carbon material is 1.0×10−5 to 20 cm2/cm3; and a positive electrode (20) facing the negative electrode. Then, the negative electrode and the positive electrode are immersed in an electrolysis solution (70), and at least a part of the positive electrode is exposed to a gas phase (2).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A microbial fuel cell comprising:
a negative electrode composed of a carbon material formed by laminating a plurality of graphenes on one another, in which an area of exposed surfaces of the carbon material, the exposed surfaces going along a lamination direction of the graphenes, with respect to a volume of the carbon material is 1.0×10−5 to 20 cm2/cm3; and
a positive electrode facing the negative electrode,
wherein the negative electrode and the positive electrode are immersed in an electrolysis solution, and at least a part of the positive electrode is exposed to a gas phase.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The microbial fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein, in the negative electrode, the area of the exposed surfaces of the carbon material along the lamination direction of the graphenes with respect to the volume of the carbon material is 0.4 to 7 cm2/cm3.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2)

The microbial fuel cell according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the negative electrode has through holes going along the lamination direction of the graphenes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The microbial fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein an aperture ratio of the carbon material having the through holes is 1 to 70%.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The microbial fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the carbon material is a graphite sheet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The microbial fuel cell according to claim 1, further comprising an ion transfer layer having hydrogen ion permeability, the ion transfer layer being provided between the negative electrode and the positive electrode.