Nickel cobaltite@nanocarbon hybrid materials as efficient cathode catalyst for oxygen reduction in microbial fuel cells

• Published in: Journal of materials science Vol. 52; no. 12; pp. 7539 - 7545
• Main Authors: Xia, Wei-Yan, Tan, Liang, Li, Nan, Li, Jie-Cheng, Lai, Shao-Hao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biochemical fuel cells; Catalysis; Catalysts; Cathodes; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Cobalt ores; Crystallography and Scattering Methods; Electric power generation; Fuel cell industry; Fuel cells; Materials Science; Maximum power density; microbial fuel cells; Microorganisms; nickel; Nickel compounds; Original Paper; oxides; oxygen; Oxygen reduction reactions; Polymer Sciences; power generation; Solid Mechanics; Transition metal oxides; Transition metals; Oxygen Reduction Reaction; Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activity; Microbial Fuel Cell; Maximum Power Density; NiCo2O4
• ISSN: 0022-2461; 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1007/s10853-017-0986-9

The high efficiency of cathode catalyst used in the oxygen reduction reaction is a vital factor guaranteeing for the microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this work, two novel nickel cobaltite@nanocarbon hybrids were rationally designed and successfully prepared as efficient cathode catalysts in air–cathode MFCs. Impressively, the achieved maximum power density of the MFCs equipped with NiCo 2 O 4 @MWCNTs cathode was about 356 mW m −2 , which is significantly higher than that of the MFCs with other cathodic catalysts. This work may provide not only the fundamental studies on nanocarbon-supported mixed-valent transition-metal oxides but also a new kind of promising alternative electrode in the technology of power generation from MFCs.