Issue 5, 2017

Three-dimensional hierarchical metal oxide–carbon electrode materials for highly efficient microbial electrosynthesis

Abstract

The production of hierarchical hybrid conductive materials that are mesoporous, with pores spanning from sub-microns to microns in size, is important for large-area electrode applications. Here, a simple one-step, low-cost method to fabricate metal oxide–carbon hybrid materials with a hierarchical pore structure in a microwave oven is demonstrated. The microwave pyrolysis of ferrocene using carbon felt as a microwave absorber is a method that is rapid (takes of seconds), requires neither harsh conditions nor the use of costly equipment, and can be readily scaled up. The produced material has a high specific surface area, a multi-length scale porous structure and a high conductivity, and is quite stable, making it promising for many practical applications. As an electrode in microbial electrosynthesis, its performance is improved by a factor of five and an optimal biofilm of the microorganism is formed on the surface.

Graphical abstract: Three-dimensional hierarchical metal oxide–carbon electrode materials for highly efficient microbial electrosynthesis

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
04 Feb 2017
Accepted
01 May 2017
First published
05 May 2017

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2017,1, 1171-1176

Three-dimensional hierarchical metal oxide–carbon electrode materials for highly efficient microbial electrosynthesis

M. Cui, H. Nie, T. Zhang, D. Lovley and T. P. Russell, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2017, 1, 1171 DOI: 10.1039/C7SE00073A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements