One-step fabrication of membraneless microbial fuel cell cathode by electropolymerization of polypyrrole onto stainless steel mesh

A unique one-step method for fabrication of a membraneless microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathode was developed by coating a conductive polymer onto stainless steel mesh. The resulting polypyrrole/anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (PPy/AQS) film was synthesized via electropolymerization using AQS as the dopants. The scanning electron microscopy results indicated that the PPy/AQS film was uniformly formed on the metal mesh electrode without cracks on its surface and featuring a globular structure. Being equipped with such a cathode that was able to catalyze oxygen reduction and prevent water leakage, the membraneless MFC allowed power generation over 250 h and exhibited a maximum power density of 575 mW m(-2). Increasing film thickness seemed to result in a reduction in power performance due to the increased ohmic resistance of the cathode material and the enhanced difficulty for oxygen diffusion inside the cathode. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.