Recently, an intense interest has emerged in microorganisms that generate electrical current from organic matter in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). MFCs have the ability to generate clean and renewable energy and to generate continuous power in specialized environments like the bottom of the sea bed or the human body. However, one of the greatest bottlenecks in MFC development is their limited power output, which is still insufficient to drive most electronic devices in society. The limitation in power output is mostly due to the slow rate of electron transfer from the microbes to the anode of the MFC.
The structure and electrical conductivity of bioanode play a significant role in the power generation of microbial fuel cells. We aim to develop 3D porous and conductive electrode structures for improving the electron collection efficiency at the bacteria/electrode interface.