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To enhance the performance of activated carbon air cathodes for microbial fuel cells (MFCs), scattered and dense air-cathodes are fabricated by the rolling-press method with the gas diffusion layer or the catalyst layer (CL) invaded to stainless steel meshes (SSM). The maximum power density with scattered cathodes (2503 ± 61 mW m−2) is 29% higher than those of dense cathodes because of the decreased internal resistance and increased oxygen reduction reaction activity. The decrease in the electrode volume density and invasion of CL into SSM has been demonstrated to be an optimal structure, with the highest exchange current density up to 1.26 A m−2 and the lowest charge transfer resistance as low as 1.5 Ω. The increase in performance is believed to result from the enhanced mass transport through extra pores and the contact of activated carbon to the current collector. This novel structure of an air-cathode has a promising future as an application in MFCs.

Stainless steel mesh (SSM) with four opening sizes (20–80 M) were investigated as matrixes of activated carbon air–cathodes in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The highest power density of 2151 ± 109 mW m −2 (at 5.54 ± 0.14 A m −2 ) was obtained using 40 M, with a value 45% higher than 1485 ± 18 mW m −2 of 80 M. The trend of linear sweep voltammetries were in accordant with power output over a cathodic potential range from −0.2 to 0 V. The differences in performance were attributed to the internal resistances. Charge transfer resistance ( R ct ) was the dominant internal resistance in most of air–cathodes, with the lowest value of 2 Ω in 40 M. Density of metal mesh exhibited a more significant correlationship with maximum power densities ( R 2 = 0.9222) compared to opening size ( R 2 = 0.7068), demonstrated that the density of metal current collector was vital to the performance of cathodes.

Bioelectrochemical remediation is an emerging technology for in situ removal of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil. Here we demonstrated that the remediation can be extended to a larger range by adding multilayer anodes in contaminated soils. Using a three anodes system with activated carbon as the cathodic catalyst, 918 C of charge transferred during 180 days in aged saline soil. The degradation of both polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n-alkanes were accelerated in each layer compared to the disconnected control. The net degradation rates of total petroleum hydrocarbons, 16 priority PAHs and total n-alkanes (C8–C40) were 18%, 36% and 29%, respectively. Popular exoelectrogens (such as Geobacteraceae sp.) and Escherichia were identified, which possibly played an important role in this bioelectrochemical process.

Activated carbon (AC) is a promising catalyst for the air cathode of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) because of its high performance and low cost. To increase the performance of AC air cathodes, the acceleration of OH(-) transport is one of the most important methods, but it has not been widely investigated. Here we added quaternary ammonium to ACs by in situ anchoring of a quaternary ammonium/epoxide-reacting compound (QAE) or ex situ mixing with anion exchange resins in order to modify ACs from not only the external surface but also inside the pores. In 50 mM phosphate buffer solution (PBS), the in situ anchoring of QAE was a more effective way to increase the power. The highest power density of 2781 ± 36 mW/m(2), which is 10% higher than that of the control, was obtained using QAE-anchored AC cathodes. When the medium was switched to an unbuffered NaCl solution, the increase in maximum power density (885 ± 25 mW/m(2)) was in accordance with the anion exchange capacity (0.219 mmol/g). The highest power density of the anion exchange resin-mixed air cathode was 51% higher than that of the control, indicating that anion exchange is urgently needed in real wastewaters. Excess anchoring of QAE blocked both the mesopores and micropores, causing the power output to be inhibited.