MXene@Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) Decorated Carbon Cloth for Highly Electrochemically Active Biofilms in Microbial Fuel Cells

Abstract The anode characteristics are important to the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) due to the influence on biofilm formation and extracellular electron transfer (EET). Herein, MXene was modified by the superhydrophilic cationic polymer poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) to prepare MXene@PDDA/carbon cloth (CC) as an anode for MFC. The unique anode combines the advantages of high conductivity, superhydrophilicity and biocompatibility. The anode facilitated the enrichment of electrochemical active bacterium and promoted the efficiency of EET process. MFCs based on MXene@PDDA/CC anodes can produce the remarkable power output and the satisfactory effluent removal efficiency through an external series resistance of 1 kΩ. The device can gain the maximum output voltage of 585 mV and the maximum power density of 811 mW m −2 . The efficiencies of methyl orange decolorization and chemical oxygen demand were up to 79 % and 84 % after 12 h, respectively.