Polyaniline/mesoporous tungsten trioxide composite as anode electrocatalyst for high-performance microbial fuel cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer a sustainable energy source.
• Platinum-based electrocatalysts are effective but costly and potentially toxic.
• Development of platinum-free, biocompatible anode materials is crucial for MFC advancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel polyaniline (PANI)/mesoporous tungsten trioxide (m-WO(3)) composite as a platinum-free anodic electrocatalyst for MFCs.
• To evaluate the performance of the PANI/m-WO(3) composite in an Escherichia coli (E. coli) based MFC.
• To understand the synergistic effects contributing to the enhanced electrocatalytic activity.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of m-WO(3) via a replicating route.
• Loading PANI onto m-WO(3) through chemical oxidation of aniline.
• Characterization using X-ray diffraction, FTIR, FESEM, and TEM.
• Electrochemical performance evaluation using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and cell discharge tests.

Main Results:

• The PANI/m-WO(3) composite exhibited superior electrocatalytic activity compared to individual PANI or m-WO(3).
• MFCs utilizing the composite anode achieved a maximum power density of 0.98 W m(-2).
• Individual m-WO(3) and PANI anodes yielded lower power densities of 0.76 W m(-2) and 0.48 W m(-2), respectively.

Conclusions:

• The PANI/m-WO(3) composite is a promising platinum-free, biocompatible anodic electrocatalyst for MFCs.
• The enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic combination of m-WO(3)'s biocompatibility and PANI's electrical conductivity.
• The composite improves the electrochemical activity of PANI for proton insertion and de-insertion, boosting MFC efficiency.