Exploring chemically reduced graphene oxide electrode for power generation in microbial fuel cell

Abstract

Graphene electrodes demonstrates superior performance in a microbial fuel cell attributed to large surface area for bacterial colonization and high electrical conductivity. The present study compares performance of various carbon-based electrodes viz. carbon cloth, graphene oxide and chemically reduced graphene oxide, in microbial fuel cell. The study comprises of physical characterization of electrodes using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectrometry techniques. To evaluate the electrical properties of electrodes, electrochemical characterization was carried out by using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Higher performance of reduced graphene oxide as compared to carbon electrode could be attributed to better bacterial colonization, higher charge storing capacity and lower charge transfer resistance at interface. This study emphasis on use of simple chemically synthesized graphene electrodes to obtain improved performance in a cost-effective MFC reactor configuration having economic stainless-steel cathode, mixed culture for inoculation and deionized water as catholyte. Keywords: Microbial fuel cell, Reduced graphene oxide, Wastewater treatment, Chemical reduction, Graphene electrodes