2022-06-15
New doctoral dissertation
VILNIUS TECH Library invites you to follow the published new dissertations. The dissertation „Application of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast in biofuel cells“ prepared by VILNIUS TECH, Justė Rožėnė. The dissertation was prepared in 2018–2022, supervisors – Dr Inga Morkvėnaitė-Vilkončienė.
The dissertation was defended at the public meeting of the Dissertation Defence Council of Materials Engineering in the Senate Hall of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University at 1 p. m. on 15 June 2022.
„With the rapid growth of research into the performance and applicability of biofuel cells, a remaining crucial factor is ensuring their efficiency and increasing the current output and power relative to the fuel cell area. To improve the efficiency indicators, many new scientific tasks have to be solved, such as improving the charge transfer by selecting materials and examining their impact on the performance of the biofuel cell and the viability of the microorganisms.
To create and investigate a microbial fuel cell by modifying its anodic part and using yeast as a catalyst, theoretical and analytical studies were first performed to elucidate the primary data useful for research and find solutions to the problem examined in previous studies. Experimental studies were also performed with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae modified with 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PQ), 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (MD) quinones, and multilayer carbon nanotubes. The investigation and evaluation focused on the viability of different yeasts under the influence of redox mediators and multi-walled carbon nanotubes
(MW-CNTs). Electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, and the local electrochemical properties were examined by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Mechanical properties were studied by atomic force microscopy. To this end, an atomic force microscopy model was developed to evaluate the image quality of the test results and to determine the artefacts, considering the tip geometry, scanning speed, and sample material. Investigations of the developed biofuel cells were performed at thirteen different load resistances, measuring the voltage and calculating the generated power. All the obtained data were analysed at the end of the work, and conclusions with recommendations were presented.“
Doctoral dissertation readers can search via VILNIUS TECH Virtual Library
The dissertation was defended at the public meeting of the Dissertation Defence Council of Materials Engineering in the Senate Hall of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University at 1 p. m. on 15 June 2022.
„With the rapid growth of research into the performance and applicability of biofuel cells, a remaining crucial factor is ensuring their efficiency and increasing the current output and power relative to the fuel cell area. To improve the efficiency indicators, many new scientific tasks have to be solved, such as improving the charge transfer by selecting materials and examining their impact on the performance of the biofuel cell and the viability of the microorganisms.
To create and investigate a microbial fuel cell by modifying its anodic part and using yeast as a catalyst, theoretical and analytical studies were first performed to elucidate the primary data useful for research and find solutions to the problem examined in previous studies. Experimental studies were also performed with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae modified with 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PQ), 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (MD) quinones, and multilayer carbon nanotubes. The investigation and evaluation focused on the viability of different yeasts under the influence of redox mediators and multi-walled carbon nanotubes
(MW-CNTs). Electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, and the local electrochemical properties were examined by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Mechanical properties were studied by atomic force microscopy. To this end, an atomic force microscopy model was developed to evaluate the image quality of the test results and to determine the artefacts, considering the tip geometry, scanning speed, and sample material. Investigations of the developed biofuel cells were performed at thirteen different load resistances, measuring the voltage and calculating the generated power. All the obtained data were analysed at the end of the work, and conclusions with recommendations were presented.“
Doctoral dissertation readers can search via VILNIUS TECH Virtual Library