Electrospun polyaniline/polyvinyl alcohol/multiwalled carbon nanotubes nanofibers as promising bioanode material for biofuel cells

The polyaniline/polyvinyl alcohol/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (PANI/PVA/MWCNTs) composite nanofibers were synthesized using electrospinning technique. Nanofibres morphology was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrospun PANI/PVA/MWCNTs nanofibres with average diameter of about 60-100 nm exhibited smooth surface at higher magnifications of × 25000. The PANI/PVA/MWCNTs nanofibres modified electrode showed good electron transfer behavior because of the excellent properties of carbon nanotubes and the three dimensional and porous structures of electrospun nanofibres. The enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) covalently immobilized with PANI/PVA/MWCNTs nanofibres exhibited good electrocatalytic activity towards oxidation of glucose through redox active as well as biocompatible mediator ferritin (FRT). The maximum current density using this nanostructured bioanode was 7.5 mA cm− 2 at 100 mVs− 1 vs Ag/AgCl in a 20 mM glucose solution. The heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (Ks) was found to be 3.09 s− 1. The results indicated that these electrospun PANI/PVA/MWCNTs nanofibres have potential to be used in BFC device as anode.