Nanostructured Graphene/TiO2 Hybrids as High-Performance Anodes for Microbial Fuel Cells

A new nanostructured graphene/TiO2 (G/TiO2) hybrid was synthesized by a facile microwave‐assisted solvothermal process in which amorphous TiO2 was assembled on graphene in situ. The resulting G/TiO2 hybrids were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption/desorption analysis. The electrochemical properties of the hybrids as anode materials for Shewanella‐inoculated microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were studied for the first time, and they proved to be effective in improving MFC performance. The significantly improved bacterial attachment and extracellular electron‐transfer efficiency could be attributed to the high specific surface area, active groups, large pore volume, and excellent conductivity of the nanostructured G/TiO2 hybrid, and this suggests that it could be a promising candidate for high‐performance MFCs. Microwave‐assisted solvothermal synthesis of TiO2 on graphene led to the assembly of nanostructured G/TiO2 hybrids. The as‐synthesized 20 % graphene/TiO2 hybrid exhibited effective bacterial adhesion (see figure) and high power density when used as an anode material in microbial fuel cells.