MnCo2O4 coated carbon felt anode for enhanced microbial fuel cell performance

A highly efficient anode is very crucial for an improved microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance. In this study, a binder-free manganese cobalt oxide (MnCo2O4@CF) anode was synthesized using a conventional carbon felt (CF) by a facile hydrothermal method. A large electrochemically active and rough electrode surface area of MnCo2O4@CF anode improved the substrate fluxes and microbial adhesion/growth. Furthermore, the electrochemical tests on the synthesized anode confirmed the superior bio-electrochemical activity, reduced ion transfer resistance, and excellent capacitance. This resulted in an improved power density (945 mw/m(2)), which was 3.8 times higher than that of CF anode. The variable valence state, high stability and biocompatibility of MnCo2O4@CF resulted in continuous current density performance for five MFC cycles. High-throughput biofilm analysis revealed the enrichment of electricity producing phylum of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes (similar to 90.0%), which signified that the modified MnCo2O4 anode accelerated the enrichment of electro-active microbes. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study synthesized a binder-free manganese cobalt oxide anode with a large electrochemically active and rough surface area, leading to improved microbial fuel cell performance. The superior bio-electrochemical activity, reduced ion transfer resistance, and excellent capacitance of the synthesized anode resulted in enhanced power density. The modified anode also accelerated the enrichment of electro-active microbes, as shown by high-throughput biofilm analysis.