Macroporous and Monolithic Anode Based on Polyaniline Hybridized Three-Dimensional Graphene for High-Performance Microbial Fuel Cells

Abstract

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is of great interest as a promising green energy source to harvest electricity from various organic matters. However, low bacterial loading capacity and low extracellular electron transfer efficiency between the bacteria and the anode often limit the practical applications of MFC. In this work, a macroporous and monolithic MFC anode based on polyaniline hybridized three-dimensional (3D) graphene is demonstrated. It outperforms the planar carbon electrode because of its abilities to three-dimensionally interface with bacterial biofilm, facilitate electron transfer, and provide multiplexed and highly conductive pathways. This study adds a new dimension to the MFC anode design as well as to the emerging graphene applications.

A simple biofuel cell cathode with human red blood cells as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

“…MET-type BFCs: the systems based on other all electrode reactions involving electron transfer by using mediators and promoters (Ikeda and Kano, 2003;Bullen et al, 2006). It has been believed that most of the enzyme proteins acting as the electrocatalysts of fuel cell reactions show slow electron transfer characteristics on the simple DET-type electrode; hence, great efforts have been mainly made on the MET-type including modified and immobilized electrodes to enhance the enzyme activity (Yong et al, 2012;Cai et al 2012;Kang et al, 2009). However, the simple DET-type electrode is the best design for the application to the body implantable power supplies, because of rejection to extracorporeal materials, necessity of purification, modification, and immobilization of enzymes onto the electrodes, etc.…”

Boosting Power Density of Microbial Fuel Cells with 3D Nitrogen‐Doped Graphene Aerogel Electrode

“…In addition, the maximum areal power density (normalized to the geometric surface area of N‐GA, 9.4 cm 2 ) for N‐GA MFC is 1990.8 ± 106.1 mW m −2 , which is much higher than the values of CC MFC (78.2 ± 2.7 mW m −2 ) and rGO‐Ni MFC (517.6 ± 8.0 mW m −2 ). Significantly, the maximum areal power density is also among the state‐of‐the‐art performance and considerably higher than other MFCs with carbon‐based bioanodes, including the MEMS MFC (47 mW m −2 ),23 carbon nanotube‐based MFC (830 ± 10 mW m −2 )24 and graphene/PANI foam‐based MFC (768 mW m −2 ) 25. From the polarization curves shown in Figure 3b, the N‐GA MFC also exhibited the highest open circuit potential (0.69 ± 0.01 V) with the largest maximum current (20.50 ± 0.35 mA) among the three MFCs.…”

Energy harvesting from organic liquids in micro-sized microbial fuel cells

“…24 Specifically, cyclic voltammogram plots and electrical impedance spectroscopy were used to characterize a graphene biofilm to show that graphene improved the kinetics of electron transfer between the cell surface proteins and the electrode, leading to an overall improvement in electron transfer kinetics. 16,17,24 An analysis of energy loss was performed to determine the specific contributions of the various components of the device to the total internal resistance of the system. The electrolyte resistance was nearly 180 O; therefore, using the maximum power, a current of 1.4 mA results in a loss of approximately 0.252 mV.…”