Electricity generation from corn stover by cellulose degradation bacteria and exoelectrogenic bacteria

The possibility of direct electricity production from steam exploded corn stover residue was studied in single chamber air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs) using two cellulose degrading bacteria (Chaetomium sp., Bacillus sp.) and two cellulose degrading communities (PCS-S and H-C; stored in our laboratory) as biocatalysts. Both pure strains and mixed communities can decompose corn stover in MFCs, but little electricity (< 90 mV, 1000Ω) was generated during this process. Increasing the temperature from 30 to 38.5°C did not increase voltage outputs. Using domestic wastewater solely as inoculum, electricity cannot be generated from degradation of corn stover. Maximum voltage was observed in the MFC using H-C co-operated with the exoelectrogenic bacteria. The maximum power density from steam exploded corn stover residue was 406 mW·m^-2, which was only 20% lower than the 510 mW·m^-2 obtained using glucose as a substrate.