Varanasi: Prof Neelam Srivastava, a faculty member from the department of physics, Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Banaras Hindu University, was awarded a patent for the development of ‘Low-cost electrolyte membranes for microbial fuel cell applications, synthesized by complexing starch (wheat, corn and rice) with salt."
This breakthrough innovation, carried out in collaboration with S Venkata Mohan, chief scientist at the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, aims to revolutionise microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology. MFCs are increasingly used for wastewater treatment, including sewage and industrial effluents, as they not only treat pollutants, but also generate electricity during the process.
Prof Srivastava said that microbial fuel cells offer a sustainable method for wastewater treatment by harnessing the power of bacteria to degrade organic matter while simultaneously producing electricity. However, a significant barrier to scaling up the technology for real-world applications was the high cost of the membrane material used in these systems. Currently, NAFION membranes are typically employed, but they are expensive and not environmentally friendly.
The patented work of Prof Srivastava and her team focuses on replacing the costly NAFION membrane with a much more affordable and environmentally benign alternative. The novel membrane is synthesised by complexing starch from common grains such as wheat, corn and rice with salt, resulting in a low-cost, biodegradable material that can perform effectively in microbial fuel cell applications.