Performance evaluation of a photosynthetic microbial fuel cell (PMFC) using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii at cathode

This study reports the use of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii at the cathode in a photosynthetic microbial fuel cell (PMFC). The PMFC produced power and current density of 15.21 W m−3 and 39 A m−3, respectively. The specific growth rate of algae culture at the cathode was 0.284 day−1. The system achieved COD removal at 73.30% with a Coulombic efficiency of 9.068%. The usability of algae biomass was assessed in terms of its total phenol content (157.69 mg GAE/g algae DW), antioxidant activity (IC50 = 67.07 µg/ml), total Chlorophyll (18.95 mg/g), total Carotenoids (2.40 mg/g), and antibacterial properties against known pathogens. Overall, the study's findings suggested that C. reinhardtii supports high power output from a PMFC and is highly resourceful in terms of value-added products.