Since its first appearance almost a couple of decades ago, microfluidic fuel cells (MFFCs) have gained considerable research momentum due to their potential applications in portable devices. The main focus has been on the effective fabrication of microfluidic channels with different materials, where the manufacturing limitations proved to be the main stumbling blocks. Paper-based MFFCs have been reported with some success, where the porosity of the flow channel medium drives the reactants, greatly reducing the need for elaborate external devices and complex manufacturing obstacles, although the longevity of these cells remains questionable. The current article addresses this issue by replacing the paper-based flow channels with 3D-printed substrates of different structural forms to serve as pathways for controlled flow and mixing responses of the reactant liquids without the use of other devices, such as micro pumps and valves. The line-by-line material consolidation mechanics of fused filament fabrication and the porous mesostructural responses of a commercial polymer filament are combined to build the microfluidic fuel channels of varying configurations. Numerical and experimental characterizations proved the cells to perform better than the current paper-based counterparts, apart from better longevity and possible new opportunities for future improvements based on more complex micro-, meso-, and macrostructural advances.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
KjeangE, DjilaliN, SintonD. Microfluidic fuel cells: A review. J Power Sources, 2009; 186(2):353–369; doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2008.10.011
2.
ChobanER, SpendelowJS, GancsL, et al.Membraneless laminar flow-based micro fuel cells operating in alkaline, acidic, and acidic/alkaline media. Electroch Acta, 2005; 50(27):5390–5398; doi: 10.1016/j.electacta.2005.03.019
3.
KjeangE, MichelR, HarringtonDA, et al.A microfluidic fuel cell with flow-through porous electrodes. J Am Chem Soc, 2008; 130(12):4000–4006; doi: 10.1021/ja078248c
4.
PhilamoreH, RossiterJ, WaltersP, et al.Cast and 3D printed ion exchange membranes for monolithic microbial fuel cell fabrication. J Power Sources, 2015; 289:91–99; doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2015.04.113
5.
JayakumarA, SethuSP, RamosM, et al.A technical review on gas diffusion, mechanism and medium of PEM fuel cell. Ionics, 2015; 21(1):1–18; doi: 10.1007/s11581-014-1322-x
6.
GuoX, LiH, AhnBY, et al.Two- and three-dimensional folding of thin film single-crystalline silicon for photovoltaic power applications. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2009; 106(48):20149–20154; doi: 10.1073/pnas.0907390106
7.
BreitwieserM, KloseC, KlingeleM, et al.Simple fabrication of 12 μm thin nanocomposite fuel cell membranes by direct electrospinning and printing. J Power Sources, 2017; 337:137–144.
8.
O'NeilGD, ChristianCD, BrownDE, et al.Hydrogen production with a simple and scalable membraneless electrolyzer. J Electrochem Soc, 2016; 163(11):F3012–F3019; doi: 10.1149/2.0021611jes
9.
BrowneMP, DodwellJ, NovotnyF, et al.Oxygen evolution catalysts under proton exchange membrane conditions in a conventional three electrode cell vs. electrolyser device: A comparison study and a 3D-printed electrolyser for academic labs. J Mater Chem A, 2021; 9(14):9113–9123.
10.
AmbrosiA, PumeraM. Multimaterial 3D-printed water electrolyzer with earth-abundant electrodeposited catalysts. ACS Sustain Chem Eng, 2018; 6(12):16968–16975.
11.
IffelsbergerC, WertS, MatysikF-M, et al.Catalyst formation and in operando monitoring of the electrocatalytic activity in flow reactors. ACS Appl Mater Interf, 2021; 13(30):35777–35784.
12.
BonyárA, SanthaH, VargaM, et al.Characterization of rapid PDMS casting technique utilizing molding forms fabricated by 3D rapid prototyping technology (RPT). Int J Mater Form, 2014; 7(2):189–196; doi: 10.1007/s12289-012-1119-2
GuimaK-E, GomesLE, Alves FernandesJ, et al.Harvesting energy from an organic pollutant model using a new 3D-printed microfluidic photo fuel cell. ACS Appl Mater Interf, 2020; 12(49):54563–54572.
15.
Van den DriescheS, LucklumF, BungeF, et al.3D printing solutions for microfluidic chip-to-world connections. Micromachines, 2018; 9(2):71.
16.
FerrignoR, StroockAD, ClarkTD, et al.Membraneless vanadium redox fuel cell using laminar flow. J Am Chem Soc, 2002; 124(44):12930–12931.
17.
ChobanER, MarkoskiLJ, WieckowskiA, et al.Microfluidic fuel cell based on laminar flow. J Power Sources, 2004; 128(1):54–60.
18.
GalvanV, DomalaonK, TangC, et al.An improved alkaline direct formate paper microfluidic fuel cell. Electrophoresis, 2016; 37(3):504–510.
19.
EsquivelJ, Del CampoF, De La FuenteJG, et al.Microfluidic fuel cells on paper: Meeting the power needs of next generation lateral flow devices. Energy Environ Sci, 2014; 7(5):1744–1749.
20.
YanX, XuA, ZengL, et al.A paper-based microfluidic fuel cell with hydrogen peroxide as fuel and oxidant. Energy Technol, 2018; 6(1):140–143.
21.
Tata RaoL, RewatkarP, DubeySK, et al.Performance optimization of microfluidic paper fuel-cell with varying cellulose fiber papers as absorbent pad. Int J Energy Res, 2020; 44(5):3893–3904.
22.
RaoLT, DubeySK, JavedA, et al.Statistical performance analysis and robust design of paper microfluidic membraneless fuel cell with pencil graphite electrodes. J Electrochem Energy Conv Storage, 2020; 17(3):1–14; doi: Artn 03101510.1115/1.4045979
23.
OberoiG, NitschS, JanjićK, et al.The impact of 3D-printed LAY-FOMM 40 and LAY-FOMM 60 on L929 cells and human oral fibroblasts. Clin Oral Invest, 2021; 25(4):1869–1877.
24.
PitaruAA, LacombeJ-G, CookeME, et al.Investigating commercial filaments for 3D printing of stiff and elastic constructs with ligament-like mechanics. Micromachines, 2020; 11(9):846.
25.
Parrado-AgudeloJZ, Narváez-TovarC. Caracterización mecánica de piezas de ácido poliláctico, policaprolactona y Lay-Fomm 40 fabricadas por modelado de deposición fundida, en función de los parámetros de impresión. Iteckne, 2019; 16(2):111–117.
26.
BelkaM, KoniecznaL, OkońskaM, et al.Application of 3D-printed scabbard-like sorbent for sample preparation in bioanalysis expanded to 96-wellplate high-throughput format. Anal Chim Acta, 2019; 1081:1–5.
27.
BazylakA, SintonD, DjilaliN. Improved fuel utilization in microfluidic fuel cells: A computational study. J Power Sources, 2005; 143(1–2):57–66.
28.
PatariS, MahapatraPS. Liquid wicking in a paper strip: An experimental and numerical study. ACS Omega, 2020; 5(36):22931–22939.
29.
Perez-CruzA, StiharuI, Dominguez-GonzalezA. Two-dimensional model of imbibition into paper-based networks using Richards' equation. Microfluid Nanofluid, 2017; 21(5):98.
30.
MasoodiR, TanH, PillaiKM. Darcy's law–based numerical simulation for modeling 3D liquid absorption into porous wicks. AIChE J, 2011; 57(5):1132–1143.
31.
MadhuNT, ResmiP, PradeepA, et al.Design and simulation of fluid flow in paper based microfluidic platforms. IOP Publishing: Bristol, UK; 2019.
32.
LiuZ, HuJ, ZhaoY, et al.Experimental and numerical studies on liquid wicking into filter papers for paper-based diagnostics. Appl Therm Eng, 2015; 88:280–287.
33.
HamdaouiM, NasrallahSB. Capillary rise kinetics on woven fabrics–Experimental and theoretical studies. Indian J Fibre Textile Res, 2015; 40(2):150–156.
34.
DattaA. Porous media approaches to studying simultaneous heat and mass transfer in food processes. I: Problem formulations. J Food Eng, 2007; 80(1):80–95.
35.
HalderA, DattaAK. Surface heat and mass transfer coefficients for multiphase porous media transport models with rapid evaporation. Food Bioprod Process, 2012; 90(3):475–490.
36.
BrooksRH, CoreyAT. Properties of porous media affecting fluid flow. J Irrig Drain Div, 1966; 92(2):61–88.
37.
IsmagilovRF, StroockAD, KenisPJ, et al.Experimental and theoretical scaling laws for transverse diffusive broadening in two-phase laminar flows in microchannels. Appl Phys Lett, 2000; 76(17):2376–2378.
38.
KhattabIS, BandarkarF, FakhreeMAA, et al.Density, viscosity, and surface tension of water+ ethanol mixtures from 293 to 323K. Korean J Chem Eng, 2012; 29(6):812–817.
