Nanostructured graphene/TiO2 hybrids as high-performance anodes for microbial fuel cells.

A new nanostructured graphene/TiO2 (G/TiO2) hybrid was synthesized by a facile microwave-assisted solvothermal process in which amorphous TiO2 was assembled on graphene in situ. The resulting G/TiO2 hybrids were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption/desorption analysis. The electrochemical properties of the hybrids as anode materials for Shewanella-inoculated microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were studied for the first time, and they proved to be effective in improving MFC performance. The significantly improved bacterial attachment and extracellular electron-transfer efficiency could be attributed to the high specific surface area, active groups, large pore volume, and excellent conductivity of the nanostructured G/TiO2 hybrid, and this suggests that it could be a promising candidate for high-performance MFCs.