Growth of Carbon Nanotubes on Graphene as Efficient Air-Cathode for Highly H₂O₂ -Producing Microbial Fuel Cell

An efficient highly conductive three-dimensional (3D) air-cathode manufactured by growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on graphene sheets (GNS) for the improvement of H2O2-producing microbial fuel cell (MFC) is reported. 3D architectured GNS-CNTs hybrid as air-cathode allows for an enhanced production rates of H2O2 within its hierarchical porous structure. Correspondingly, the resulted GNS-CNTs hybrid showed adjustable electrochemical performance as an MFC air-cathode. Importantly, different electron transfer efficiencies on GNS-CNTs hybrid air-cathode result in different electric charge distributions, which affects its molecular spatial arrangement and three-dimensional conformation. The nanostructure enhances the air-cathode interaction and electron transfer rate. This work paves a feasible pathway to prepare carbon nanomaterials with favorable 3D architecture and high performance, for use in MFC and energy conversion