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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Plastic pollution remains a critical global environmental challenge, with conventional disposal methods contributing to ecosystem degradation. Simultaneously, energy scarcity affects numerous rural communities, limiting development opportunities. This study presents an innovative approach that integrates microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with Klebsiella oxytoca to simultaneously degrade plastic waste and generate bioelectricity. The monitoring results over 40 days revealed optimal performance on day 28, with a peak voltage of 0.714 ± 0.026 V and an electric current of 3.149 ± 0.124 mA. The biocatalyst exhibited an electrical conductivity of 140.466 ± 5.180 mS/cm and an oxidation-reduction potential of 109.519 ± 5.35 mV, indicating efficient electron transfer. Furthermore, the MFCs achieved a maximum power density of 11.391 ± 0.814 mW/cm2 with a current density of 5.106 mA/cm2, demonstrating their potential for sustainable energy production. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed structural modifications in the plastic, with decreased vibrational peaks indicative of polymer degradation. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed porosity and surface cracks, highlighting Klebsiella oxytoca’s biodegradation capacity. These findings establish the viability of bioelectrochemical systems for simultaneous waste remediation and renewable energy generation, paving the way for scalable applications in environmental biotechnology. By coupling microbial degradation with electricity production, this research supports the development of sustainable solutions aligned with the principles of circular economy and climate change mitigation.

Details

Title
Applied Bioelectrochemistry: Plastic Degradation and Energy Generation Using Klebsiella oxytoca in Microbial Fuel Cells
Author
Rojas-Flores, Segundo 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Cabanillas-Chirinos, Luis 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Milly, Otiniano Nélida 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; De La Cruz-Noriega Magaly 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Soto-Deza, Nancy 2 ; Alviz-Meza Anibal 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; González-Delgado, Ángel Darío 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Institutos y Centros de Investigación, Universidad Cesar Vallejo, Trujillo 13001, Peru; [email protected] (C.-C.L.); [email protected] (N.M.O.); [email protected] (M.D.L.C.-N.); [email protected] (N.S.-D.), Renewable Resources Nanotech Group, Universidad Cesar Vallejo, Trujillo 13001, Peru 
 Institutos y Centros de Investigación, Universidad Cesar Vallejo, Trujillo 13001, Peru; [email protected] (C.-C.L.); [email protected] (N.M.O.); [email protected] (M.D.L.C.-N.); [email protected] (N.S.-D.) 
 Nanomaterials and Computer Aided Process Engineering Research Group (NIPAC), Chemical Engineering Department, Universidad de Cartagena, 130014 Cartagena, Bolivar, Colombia; [email protected] (A.A.-M.); [email protected] (Á.D.G.-D.) 
First page
341
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
23115637
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3223905852
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.