A novel stainless steel mesh/cobalt oxide hybrid electrode for efficient catalysis of oxygen reduction in a microbial fuel cell

To explore efficient and cost-effective cathode material for microbial fuel cells (MFCs), the present study fabricates a new type of binder-free gas diffusion electrode made of cobalt oxide (Co(3)0(4)) micro-particles directly grown on stainless steel mesh (SSM) by using an ammonia-evaporation-induced method. In various electrochemical analyses and evaluations in batch-fed dual-chamber MFCs, the SSM/Co(3)0(4) hybrid electrode demonstrates improved performances in terms of electrocatalytic activity, selectivity, durability and economics toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in pH-neutral solution, in comparison with conventional carbon supported platinum catalyst. This study suggests a new strategy to fabricate a more effective electrode for ORR in MFCs, making it more technically and economically viable to produce electrical energy from organic materials for practical applications. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.