In situ fabrication of electrically conducting bacterial cellulose-polyaniline-titanium-dioxide composites with the immobilization of Shewanella xiamenensis and its application as bioanode in microbial fuel cell

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) 2021-02, Vol.285, p.119259, Article 119259
• Main Authors: Truong, Duy H., Dam, Mai S., Bujna, Erika, Rezessy-Szabo, Judit, Farkas, Csilla, Vi, Vu Ngoc Ha, Csernus, Olivia, Nguyen, Vuong D., Gathergood, Nicholas, Friedrich, László, Hafidi, Mohamed, Gupta, Vijai Kumar, Nguyen, Quang D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacterial cellulose/polyaniline/titanium-dioxide; Hydrogel bioanode; Immobilization; Microbial fuel cells; Shewanella xiamenensis
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2020.119259

[Display omitted] •New conductive polymers composites were successfully synthetized and characterised.•Conditions for fabrication of conductive hydrogels were optimised and validated.•Bacteria cells were immobilised into composites and new bio-anode was formed.•Application of new bio-anode improved both power density and stability of the MFC. The electrical conducting bacterial cellulose/polyaniline (BC/PANI) based composites were synthesized over in situ polymerization of aniline onto BC with ammonium-persulphate (APS) and chloride hexahydrate of iron (III) as oxidant (FeCl3·6H2O). The conductivity of synthesized BC was improved in the presence of a titanium-dioxide (TiO2) coating. The conductivity of BC/PANI/TiO2/APS was 3.7 S/m compare 2.9 S/m and 2.67 S/m with BC/PANI/TiO2/FeCl3·6H2O and BC/PANI/APS, respectively. Moreover, when using the BC/PANI/TiO2/APS as anode with the immobilization of Shewanella xiamenensis, an improved efficiency of microbial fuel cell was observed. The power-density maximized 38.89 W/m3 with BC/PANI/TiO2/APS anode compared with 2.57 W/m3 in the case of bare BC anode. These results will serve as a good base for the development of compact microbial fuel cell with high power density.