N-Doped High-Performance Free-Standing Microbial Fuel Cell Anode for Enhanced Electron Transfer Rates

Traditional anode materials have disadvantages like low specific surface area and poor electrical conductivity. Herein, we synthesis MFC anodes using carbonized Chinese dates (CCD). The in-situ N-doped carbon materials exhibits excellent biocompatibility with fast start-up (within one day) and charge transfer (Rct 4.0 Ω, 95.40% lower than commercial carbon felt). Their porous structure allows efficient ion transport and microbial community succession, favorable for long-term operation. The biomass analysis shows that CCD anodes can reserve more microorganisms. High-throughput sequencing (16S rRNA) discovers that Geobacter is the predominant electricigen and the abundance in CCD biofilm are much higher (73.4%) than carbon felt anode (39.2%). Benefit from these properties, the MFC with CCD anodes possess a maximum power density of 12.17 W/m3 (1.62 times of commercial carbon felt). In all, the CCD anode exhibits high performance with low cost and easy fabrication, certificating it a promising candidate for an ideal MFC anode material