Carbon electrodes for microbial fuel cells

The high conductivity and active surface area, combined with biocompatibility for working bacteria, is one of the biggest challenges for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Prospective investigation of electrodes with a foam structure of carbonized polymers with ferrocene catalysts in a regular MFC with Escherichia coli, glucose and methylene blue as a mediator is presented. The electrode structures have been characterized by XRD and TEM, and showed a large number of nanotubes with large defects, in a randomly interconnected network. The characteristics of the MFC related to carbon structures and biocompatibility are described.