Improving the performance of microbial fuel cells by reducing the inherent resistivity of carbon fiber brush anodes

This study investigated the effect of carbon fibers as brush anode materials on the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Two types of carbon fibers with different electrical resistivity and functionality - polyacrylonitrile (PAN) (ρ: 28.0 μΩ m) and pitch (ρ: 2.05 μΩ m) were investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the PAN- and pitch-based carbon fibers presented almost the same surface elements and functional groups, and there was no significant difference in microbial growth on the brush anodes. Current interrupt and steady discharging methods demonstrated the pitch-based carbon brush anodes had lower ohmic resistance and generated higher power density. After nitric acid treatment, the power density generated by the PAN- and pitch-based anodes increased by 29.3% and 26.7%, achieving 816 and 895 mW m−2, respectively. Using pitch-based carbon fiber brush as anode attained better performance than the widely used PAN-based carbon brush. The acid treated pitch-based carbon fibers provide a promising alternative to highly efficient anode materials for the extensive application of MFCs.