Improving the power generation of microbial fuel cells by modifying the anode with single-wall carbon nanohorns

To increase the power generation of microbial fuel cells (MFCs), anode modification with carbon materials (activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanohorns) was investigated. Maximum power densities of a stainless-steel anode MFC with a non-modified electrode (SS-MFC), an activated carbon-modified electrode (AC-MFC), a carbon nanotube-modified electrode (CNT-MFC) and a carbon nanohorn-modified electrode (CNH-MFC) were 72, 244, 261 and 327 mW m(-2), respectively. The total polarization resistance measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were 3610 Omega for SS-MFC, 283 Omega for AC-MFC, 231 Omega for CNTs-MFC, and 136 Omega for CNHs-MFC, consistent with the anode resistances obtained by fitting the anode polarization curves. Single-wall carbon nanohorns are better than activated carbon and carbon nanotubes as a new anode modification material for improving anode performance.