Research on the Phenol Degradation in Microbial Fuel Cells with Fe3O4-Reduced Graphene Oxide Cathodic Catalyst

Fe3O4-RGO composite nano material was successfully made through magnetite's deposition on graphene.The measurement of scanning electron microscope demonstrated that magnetite with spinel structure attached on the surface of the reduced grapheme oxide without any conglomeration.The XRD spectrum revealed a heterogeneous structure of various composite materials. Fe3O4-RGO nano-composites were used as a cathodic catalyst for single-chamber MFC treating phenol sewage experiment. The results indicated the output of the max power density was up to 0.283 W/m(2), while the internal resistance of the cathode was 151.2 Omega, which suggests the suitability of Fe3O4-RGO nano-composites being as MFC's cathodic catalyst.Both of phenol and glucose could be used as substrates for the generation of electricity in MFC. The output of the power was stable after a period of operation. Meanwhile, the concentration of phenol in the MFC decreased along with the extension of the operation time.