Restacked 2D nanosheet clay membranes as eco-friendly cation exchange membrane for microbial fuel cells for energy and high-throughput screening

Abstract

Amid growing global demand for sustainable and clean energy, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have emerged as a promising solution for efficient energy conversion with minimal environmental impact. This study presents an innovative approach to MFC design by incorporating vermiculite clay nanosheets as a natural cation exchange membrane (CEM), offering a low-cost and eco-friendly alternative to conventional synthetic membranes. The resulting MFC system achieved a peak power density of 19.8 W/m sup(3) and successfully powered small electronic devices via series configurations. We also developed a structured 3 x 3 MFC array based on a crossbar architecture, enabling individual electrical addressability of each unit cell. This design allows screening of multiple electrogenic microbial species, substrates, or environmental conditions while preserving independent control and monitoring of each unit cell in the MFC array.