Z-Scheme Microbial Photoelectrochemical System (MPS) for Wastewater-to-Chemical Fuel Conversion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018230028-A1
Application number	US-201615743531-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 9, 2016
Priority date	Jul 29, 2015
Publication date	Aug 16, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A wastewater to chemical fuel conversion device is provided that includes a housing having a first chamber and a second chamber, where the first chamber includes a bio-photoanode, where the second chamber includes a photocathode, where a backside of the bio-photoanode abuts a first side of a planatized fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass, where a backside of the photocathode abuts a second side of the FTO glass, where a proton exchange membrane separates the first chamber from the second chamber, where the first chamber includes a wastewater input and a reclaimed water output, where the second chamber includes a solar light input and a H2 gas output, where the solar light input is disposed for solar light illumination of the first chamber and the second chamber.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 ) A wastewater to chemical fuel conversion device, comprising a housing, wherein said housing comprises a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein said first chamber comprises a bio-photoanode, wherein said second chamber comprises a photocathode, wherein a backside of said bio-photoanode abuts a first side of a planatized fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass, wherein a backside of said photocathode abuts a second side of said FTO glass, wherein a proton exchange membrane separates said first chamber from said second chamber, wherein said first chamber comprises a wastewater input and a reclaimed water output, wherein said second chamber comprises a solar light input and a H 2 gas output, wherein said solar light input is disposed for solar light illumination of said first chamber and said second chamber.

2 ) The wastewater to chemical fuel conversion device of claim 1 , wherein said bio-photoanode comprises hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) nanowires.

3 ) The wastewater to chemical fuel conversion device of claim 1 , wherein said bio-photoanode comprises electrogenic bacterial strains.

4 ) The wastewater to chemical fuel conversion device of claim 1 , wherein said bio-photoanode comprises a semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of TiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , WO 3 , ZnO, and BiVO 4 .

5 ) The wastewater to chemical fuel conversion device of claim 1 , wherein said photocathode comprises a semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of InGaN, GaN, InP, GaP, Si, Cu 2 O, and CuBi 2 O 4 .

6 ) The wastewater to chemical fuel conversion device of claim 1 , wherein said photocathode is compatible with an anoxic buffered solution.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Li Yat

Classifications

• C02F1/725

  by catalytic oxidation · CPC title

• C02F2001/46142

  Catalytic coating · CPC title

• C02F3/005

  Combined electrochemical biological processes (aeration by electrolytically produced oxygen bubbles C02F3/202) · CPC title

• H01M8/0612

  from carbon-containing material · CPC title

• C25B1/003

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic