Optimizing Biophotovoltaic Systems: Evaluating Freshwater Green Algae and Marine Diatoms for Enhanced Electricity Generation Muhamad Maulana Azimatun Nur (a)- Dwi Aulia Puspitaningrum (b)
(a) Department of Chemical Engineering UPN Veteran Yogyakarta
(b) Department of Agrobusiness UPN Veteran Yogyakarta
Abstract
The demand for sustainable energy has led to exploring biophotovoltaic (BPV) systems utilizing photosynthetic microorganisms. This study evaluated the electricity-generating potential of freshwater green algae and marine diatoms in a BPV system. This research was conducted in an H-type BPV chamber with a Nafion membrane. The initial stage was aimed to evaluate photoanode materials (zinc, nickel, platinum, and carbon), while second stage was aimed to evaluate the kind of microalgae. Results showed that platinum produced the highest voltage (1.3 mV), followed by zinc (0.6 mV), while nickel and carbon were negligible. The second stage revealed that the marine diatom Thalassiosira sp. had the highest current density (0.23 mA), followed by Skeletonema sp. (0.19 mA), Tetraselmis sp. (0.14 mA), and Chlorella sp. (0.12 mA). Increased microalgal biomass correlated with higher voltage and current outputs. Platinum is an effective photoanode material, and Thalassiosira sp. is the most promising strain for BPV applications.
