Multilayered hollow polyelectrolyte capsules improved performances in microbial fuel cells (MFCs)

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bioelectronics devices that can directly convert the chemical energy from organic matter to electricity from the catalytic activity of living microorganisms. A number of factors influence the performance of MFCs, such as anode materials and surface structure. In this paper, alpha-Fe2O3 nanorods were used as shell material to fabricate multilayered hollow polyelectrolyte capsules based on a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technique. The capsules were used as anode materials in MFCs, which can enlarge the contacting area between the bacteria and the anode. According to the results, this modification strategy produced a higher level of electricity output compared with the bare anode method, and the MFC with the two-bilayer film anode produced a much higher current level, which is consistent with our previous report. In addition, the quantity of bacteria attached to the (PAH/PSS)(4)/(PAH/Fe2O3)(2)/PAH/ITO electrode was much greater than with the other methods. The electrode modified with the hollow capsules is promising for the development of MFCs in the future. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.