Self-Supporting Conductive Polyaniline–Sodium Alginate–Graphene Oxide/Carbon Brush Hydrogel as Anode Material for Enhanced Energy in Microbial Fuel Cells

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have exhibited potential in energy recovery from waste. In this study, an MFC reactor with a polyaniline–sodium alginate–graphene oxide (PANI–SA–GO)/carbon brush (CB) hydrogel anode achieved maximum power density with 4970 mW/m3 and produced a corresponding current density of 4.66 A/m2, which was 2.72 times larger than the MFC equipped with a carbon felt film (CF) anode (1825 mW/m3). Scanning electron microscopy indicated that the PANI-SA-GO/CB composite anode had a three-dimensional macroporous structure. This structure had a large specific surface area, providing more sites for microbial growth and attachment. When the charging-discharging time was set from 60 min to 90 min, the stored charge of the PANI-SA-GO/CB hydrogel anode (6378.41 C/m2) was 15.08 times higher than that of the CF (423.05 C/m2). Thus, the mismatch between power supply and electricity consumption was addressed. This study provided a simple and environment-friendly modification method and allowed the prepared PANI–SA–GO/CB hydrogel anode to markedly promote the energy storage and output performance of the MFC.