Three-dimensional carbon nanofiber-based anode for high generated current and power from air-cathode micro-sized MFC

Abstract

It is agreed that low mass transfer and poor reaction kinetics are the main reasons behind the low power density of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Microscale MFCs can introduce a marvelous solution for the mass transfer dilemma. However, the volumetric power density and coulombic efficiency of present microscale MFCs are still limited due to the poor reaction kinetics. The size, shape, chemical properties and material of the electrodes are essential parameters controlling the reaction kinetics. In this study, a 3D carbon nanofiber disk is introduced as an effective anode for a single-chamber air-cathode micro-sized MFC as it improved the reaction kinetics. The proposed electrode was fabricated by a judicious combination of the electrospinning technique and thermal treatment. Owing to the intercalation of the microorganisms in the carbon nanofiber skeleton, compared to many previous reports, high power and current densities of 8.1 Wm⁻² and 44.9 Am⁻², respectively, were obtained from the 19.6 μL single-chamber air-cathode MFC. However, the thickness of the carbon nanofiber layer has to be optimized by adjusting the electrospinning time. The power density observed from a 10 min electrospinning time-based anode outperformed the 5- and 20 min ones by 1.5 and 2 times, respectively.