High-rate Biohydrogen Production in Single-Chamber Microbial Electrolysis Cell Using Iron-Sulfide Modified Biocathode

High-rate Biohydrogen Production in Single-Chamber Microbial Electrolysis Cell Using Iron-Sulfide Modified Biocathode | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article High-rate Biohydrogen Production in Single-Chamber Microbial Electrolysis Cell Using Iron-Sulfide Modified Biocathode Bu Qing, Md Tabish Noori, Booki Min This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4314482/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 14 Feb, 2025 Read the published version in Environmental Science and Pollution Research → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Microbial electrolysis cells (MEC) can produce hydrogen (H 2 ) at a low energy expense, but H 2 production rate is often limited by poor microbe-electrode interaction. This study aimed to enhance the interaction of microbes with a cathode electrode modified with an iron-sulfide (FeS) catalyst in MECs to achieve an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and to optimize performance at different substrate concentrations, ranging from 1 g/L to 3 g/L of glucose. The electrochemical analysis revealed FeS a highly active catalyst for HER, surpassing the performance of a 10% platinum (Pt-C)-modified cathode. At 2g/L glucose, MECs with a FeS-modified cathode (MEC-FeS) produced hydrogen at the highest yield of 7.01 mol H 2 /mol glucose, and the hydrogen production rate was 1.96 ± 0.09 m 3 /m 3 •d. The control operations of MEC with a pristine cathode and dark fermentation resulted in a reduced hydrogen yield of 5.83 ± 0.25 mol H 2 /mol glucose and 2.12 ± 0.1 mol H 2 /mol glucose, respectively. Moreover, the MEC-FeS achieved a high energy efficiency of 78 ± 5% when compared to the MEC without catalyst (60 ± 5%) and the dark fermentation (24 ± 1%). This study suggests that the utilization of FeS as a cathode catalyst in MECs can ensure high-rate hydrogen generation with optimal substrate concentration, paving the way for efficient upscaling and field application. Biocathode Catalyst Hydrogen evolution reaction Microbial electrolysis Full Text Supplementary Files Supplementary.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 14 Feb, 2025 Read the published version in Environmental Science and Pollution Research → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major Revision 25 Sep, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Jul, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 15 Jul, 2024 Editor invited by journal 21 May, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 29 Apr, 2024 First submitted to journal 25 Apr, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4314482","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":327151610,"identity":"a0e47551-8d10-4639-a2cd-624b89cd8017","order_by":0,"name":"Bu Qing","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Kyung Hee University - Global Campus","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bu","middleName":"","lastName":"Qing","suffix":""},{"id":327151611,"identity":"8c7f6d01-5c1c-4c43-97fb-9caa1622963b","order_by":1,"name":"Md Tabish Noori","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Kyung Hee University - Global Campus","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Md","middleName":"Tabish","lastName":"Noori","suffix":""},{"id":327151612,"identity":"034f9ed0-5b36-4d66-8ed5-e81c8d4b761e","order_by":2,"name":"Booki Min","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAsElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAx4GhgMMFQkJEO4BorWcIVULA2MbKVrMeU4nHi6cl5ZncID54QeGM/cIa7Hs7d1weOa2nGKDA2zGEgw3iolw2HneDYd5t1UkbjjAYMbA8CGBWC1zQFrYvxGp5SzQYbwNOUAtPEBbbhChxbLn7IbDPMfSEmce5imWSDhDhBZzntzNn3lqkhP7jrdv/PDhGBFaEIAZiEnSMApGwSgYBaMANwAALFBASCU5ciYAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Kyung Hee University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Booki","middleName":"","lastName":"Min","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-04-23 22:51:34","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4314482/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4314482/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-35961-z","type":"published","date":"2025-02-14T15:57:22+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":76487497,"identity":"b17a5af0-8f7b-4846-9577-f24b1c80086c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-17 16:08:15","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1168360,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ManuscriptMECHydrogenBuetal.ESPR2024Final.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4314482/v1_covered_13b8bcf7-623c-4fd7-87b4-ef9143ffe51e.pdf"},{"id":62015458,"identity":"fa50f5ef-8d4f-47f6-bb8f-dc06f1fd47c6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-08 08:38:47","extension":"docx","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":17085,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Supplementary.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4314482/v1/7474c4fbd78e928da3029819.docx"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"High-rate Biohydrogen Production in Single-Chamber Microbial Electrolysis Cell Using Iron-Sulfide Modified Biocathode","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-science-and-pollution-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"espr","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Science and Pollution Research](https://www.springer.com/journal/11356)","snPcode":"11356","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11356/3","title":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Biocathode, Catalyst, Hydrogen evolution reaction, Microbial electrolysis","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4314482/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4314482/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eMicrobial electrolysis cells (MEC) can produce hydrogen (H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e) at a low energy expense, but H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e production rate is often limited by poor microbe-electrode interaction. This study aimed to enhance the interaction of microbes with a cathode electrode modified with an iron-sulfide (FeS) catalyst in MECs to achieve an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and to optimize performance at different substrate concentrations, ranging from 1 g/L to 3 g/L of glucose. The electrochemical analysis revealed FeS a highly active catalyst for HER, surpassing the performance of a 10% platinum (Pt-C)-modified cathode. At 2g/L glucose, MECs with a FeS-modified cathode (MEC-FeS) produced hydrogen at the highest yield of 7.01 mol H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e/mol glucose, and the hydrogen production rate was 1.96\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.09 m\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e/m\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026bull;d. The control operations of MEC with a pristine cathode and dark fermentation resulted in a reduced hydrogen yield of 5.83\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.25 mol H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e/mol glucose and 2.12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.1 mol H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e/mol glucose, respectively. Moreover, the MEC-FeS achieved a high energy efficiency of 78\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5% when compared to the MEC without catalyst (60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5%) and the dark fermentation (24\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1%). This study suggests that the utilization of FeS as a cathode catalyst in MECs can ensure high-rate hydrogen generation with optimal substrate concentration, paving the way for efficient upscaling and field application.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"High-rate Biohydrogen Production in Single-Chamber Microbial Electrolysis Cell Using Iron-Sulfide Modified Biocathode","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-08-08 08:38:41","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4314482/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Major Revision","date":"2024-09-25T17:54:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2024-07-16T05:30:37+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2024-07-15T09:57:36+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","date":"2024-05-21T18:53:45+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-04-29T04:26:09+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","date":"2024-04-25T04:59:45+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-science-and-pollution-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"espr","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Science and Pollution Research](https://www.springer.com/journal/11356)","snPcode":"11356","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11356/3","title":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"4e0c85be-1705-4a61-8967-84ba2604f18f","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 8th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-02-17T16:00:47+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4314482","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-35961-z","journal":{"identity":"environmental-science-and-pollution-research","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research"},"publishedOn":"2025-02-14 15:57:22","publishedOnDateReadable":"February 14th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-08-08 08:38:41","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s11356-025-35961-z","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-35961-z","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4314482","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4314482","identity":"rs-4314482","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}