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.