ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Nanostructured polyaniline-coated anode for improving microbial fuel cell power output

Ali Mehdinia, Minodokht Dejaloud, and Ali Jabbari

Department of Marine Science, Iranian National Institute for Oceanography, P.O.Box 14155-4781, Tehran, Iran

E-mail: mehdinia@inio.ac.ir

Abstract: An approach for improving the power generation of a dual-chamber microbial fuel cell by using a nanostructured polyaniline (PANI)-modified glassy carbon anode was investigated. Modification of the glassy carbon anode was achieved by the electrochemical polymerisation of aniline in 1 M H₂SO₄ solution. The MFC reactor showed power densities of 0.082 mW cm⁻² and 0.031 mW cm⁻² for the nano- and microstructured PANI anode, respectively. The results from electron microscopy scanning confirmed formation of the nanostructured PANI film on the anode surface and the results from electrochemical experiments confirmed that the electrochemical activity of the anode was significantly enhanced after modification by nanostructured PANI. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic results proved that the charge transfer would be facilitated after anode modification with nanostructured PANI.

Keywords: dual-chamber microbial fuel cell – nanostructure – polyaniline – glassy carbon – electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-013-0381-1

Chemical Papers 67 (8) 1096–1102 (2013)