Effect of surface nano/micro-structuring on the early formation of microbial anodes with Geobacter sulfurreducens: Experimental and theoretical approaches

The micro-pillars considerably improved the experimental reproducibility by offering the cells a quieter environment, facilitating biofilm development. Current densities of up to 8.5 A·m−2 (per projected surface area) were thus reached, in spite of rate limitation due to the mass transport of the buffering species, as demonstrated by numerical modelling. Nano-roughness combined with micro-structuring increased current density by a factor close to 10 with respect to the smooth flat surface.