Anaerobic An anaerobic organism or anaerobe is any organism that does not require oxygen for growth.

It could possibly react negatively and may even die if oxygen is present. There are three types: obligate anaerobes, which cannot use oxygen for growth and are even harmed by it aerotolerant organisms, which cannot use oxygen for growth, but tolerate the presence of it facultative anaerobes, which can grow without oxygen but can utilize oxygen if it is present PEM A proton exchange membrane or polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) is a semipermeable membrane generally made from ionomers and designed toconduct protons while being impermeable to gases such as oxygen or hydrogen.[1] This is their essential function when incorporated into a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell or of a proton exchange membrane electrolyser : separation of reactants and transport of protons. PEMs can be made from either pure polymer membranes or from composite membranes where other materials are embedded in a polymer matrix. One of the most common and commercially available PEM materials is Nafion, a DuPont product. [2] While Nafion is an ionomer with a perfluorinated backbone likeTeflon,[3] there are many other structural motifs used to make ionomers for proton exchange membranes. Many use polyaromatic polymers while others use partially fluorinated polymers. Proton exchange membranes are primarily characterized by proton conductivity (), methanol permeability (P), and thermal stability.[4] PEM fuel cells use a solid polymer membrane (a thin plastic film) as the electrolyte. This polymer is permeable to protons when it is saturated with water, but it does not conduct electrons. Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) are believed to be the best type of fuel cell as the vehicular power source to eventually replace the gasoline and diesel internal combustion engines. They are being considered for automobile applications because they typically have an operating temperature of ~80oC and a rapid start up time. PEMFCs operate at 40-60% efficiency and can vary the output to match the demands. First used in the 1960s for the NASA Gemini program, PEMFCs are currently being developed and demonstrated for systems ranging from 1W to 2kW. PEMFCs contain advantages over other types of fuel cells such as Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). PEMFC are more easily sealed compared to the liquid electrolyte of the SOFC. In addition, PEMFCs operate at a lower temperature, are lighter, and more compact, which makes them ideal for applications such as cars. However, some disadvantages are: the ~80oC operating temperature is too low for cogeneration like in SOFCs and that the electrolyte for PEMFCs must be water saturated. The fuel for the PEMFC is hydrogen and the charge carrier is the hydrogen ion (proton). At the anode, the hydrogen molecule is split into hydrogen ions (protons) and electrons. The hydrogen ions permeate across the electrolyte to the cathode while the electrons flow through an external circuit and produce electric power. Oxygen, usually in the form of air, is supplied to the cathode and combines with the electrons and the hydrogen ions to produce water. The reactions at the electrodes are as follows: Anode Reactions: 2H2 => 4H+ + 4e- Cathode Reactions: O2 + 4H+ + 4e- => 2 H2O Overall Cell Reactions: 2H2 + O2 => 2 H2O Fuel cell

microbial fuel cell (MFC) or biological fuel cell is a bio-electrochemical system that drives a current by mimickingbacterial interactions found in nature. Mediator-less MFCs are a more recent development; due to this, factors that affect optimum efficiency, such as the strainof bacteria used in the system, type of ion-exchange membrane, and system conditions (temperature, pH, etc.) are not particularly well understood. Bacteria in mediator-less MFCs typically have electrochemically active redox proteins such as cytochromeson their outer membrane that can transfer electrons to external materials. [1] he idea of using microbial cells in an attempt to produce electricity was first conceived at the turn of the nineteenth century. M.C. Potter was the first to perform work on the subject in 1911. [2] A professor of botany at the University of Durham, Potter managed to generate electricity from E. coli, but the work was not to receive any major coverage. In 1931, however, Barnet Cohen drew more attention to the area when he created a number of microbial half fuel cells that, when connected in series, were capable of producing over 35 volts, though only with a current of 2 milliamps.[3] More work on the subject came with a study by DelDuca et al.[citation needed] who used hydrogen produced by the fermentation of glucose by Clostridium butyricum as the reactant at the anode of a hydrogen and air fuel cell. Though the cell functioned, it was found to be unreliable owing to the unstable nature of hydrogen production by the micro-organisms.[4] Although this issue was later resolved in work by Suzuki et al. in 1976[5] the current design concept of an MFC came into existence a year later with work once again by Suzuki.[6] By the time of Suzukis work in the late 1970s, little was understood about how microbial fuel cells functioned; however, the idea was picked up and studied later in more detail first by MJ Allen and then later by H. Peter Bennetto both from King's College London. Bennetto saw the fuel cell as a possible method for the generation of electricity for developing countries. His work, starting in the early 1980s, helped build an understanding of how fuel cells operate, and until his retirement, he was seen by many[who?] as the foremost authority on the subject. It is now known that electricity can be produced directly from the degradation of organic matter in a microbial fuel cell, although the exact mechanisms of the process are yet to be fully understood. Like a normal fuel cell, an MFC has both an anode and a cathode chamber. The anoxic anode chamber is connected internally to the cathode chamber via an ion exchange membrane with the circuit completed by an external wire. In May 2007, the University of Queensland, Australia, completed its prototype MFC, as a cooperative effort with Foster's Brewing. The prototype, (a 10L design), converts brewery wastewater into carbon dioxide, clean water, and electricity. With the prototype proven successful[citation needed], plans are in effect to produce a 660 gallon version for the brewery, which is estimated to produce 2 kilowatts of power. While it is a negligible amount of power, the production of clean water is of utmost importance to Australia, for which drought is a constant threat. Definition A microbial fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy by the catalytic reaction of microorganisms.[7] A typical microbial fuel cell consists of anode and cathode compartments separated by a cation (positively charged ion) specific membrane. In the anode compartment, fuel is oxidized by microorganisms, generating electrons and protons. Electrons are transferred to the cathode compartment through an external electric circuit, while protons are transferred to the cathode compartment through the membrane. Electrons and protons are consumed in the cathode compartment, combining with oxygen to form water.[citation needed]