Development of mats composed by TiO2 and carbon dual electrospun nanofibers: A possible anode material in microbial fuel cells

A new material based on TiO2(rutile)–C(semi-graphitic)/C(semi-graphitic) dual nanofiber mats is presented, whose composition and synthesis methodology are fundamental factors for the development of exoelectrogenic biofilms on its surface. Therefore, this material shows the required characteristics for possible applications in the bioconversion process of an organic substrate to electricity in a microbial fuel cell. Chronoamperometry, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electrical conductivity analyses showed excellent electrical performance of the material for the application intended; a resistance as low as 3.149 Ω was able to be measured on this material. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies confirmed the morphology sought on the material for the application intended, dual nanofibres TiO2(rutile)–C(semi-graphitic)/C(semi-graphitic) with a side by side configuration. The difference in composition of the fibers forming the dual nanofibers was clearly observed and confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), and their crystal structure was evident in the results obtained from selected area electron diffraction (SAED) studies. This nanostructured material presented a high surface area and is biocompatible, given that it can host a dense biofilm of electroactivated Escherichia coli. In this study, the maximum current density obtained in a half microbial fuel cell was 8 A/m2 (0.8 mA/cm2).