Fibrous polyaniline@manganese oxide nanocomposites as supercapacitor electrode materials and cathode catalysts for improved power production in microbial fuel cells

Fibrous Pani–MnO2 nanocomposite were prepared using a one-step and scalable in situ chemical oxidative polymerization method. The formation, structural and morphological properties were investigated using a range of characterization techniques. The electrochemical capacitive behavior of the fibrous Pani–MnO2 nanocomposite was examined by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements using a three-electrode experimental setup in an aqueous electrolyte. The fibrous Pani–MnO2 nanocomposite achieved high capacitance (525 F g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1) and excellent cycling stability of 76.9% after 1000 cycles at 10 A g−1. Furthermore, the microbial fuel cell constructed with the fibrous Pani–MnO2 cathode catalyst showed an improved power density of 0.0588 W m−2, which was higher than that of pure Pani and carbon paper, respectively. The improved electrochemical supercapacitive performance and cathode catalyst performance in microbial fuel cells were attributed mainly to the synergistic effect of Pani and MnO2 in fibrous Pani–MnO2, which provides high surface area for the electrode/electrolyte contact as well as electronic conductive channels and exhibits pseudocapacitance behavior.