Performance Study of Polypyrrole-nanowires Based Microbial Fuel Cells

Abstract

In this study, polypyrrole (PPy)-based nanomaterials synthesized by electrochemical method were used as anode materials to improve the power output of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The respective introduction of carbon dots and graphene into the PPy nanowires makes the surface morpology of carbon-based PPy nanocomposites more interesting than those of PPy nanomaterials, and the high specific surface area is more conducive to microbial adhesion. The maximum power density of mini-MFCs equipped with PPy-based nanocomposites as anodes increased by nearly 40% than the mini-MFCs equipped with PPy nanowires. This work suggests PPy-based nanocomposites be more promising materials as anodes in application of mini-MFC.