Electrospun MOF-based porous Zn-co@carbon composite nanofibers as an efficient catalyst for oxygen reduction reactions in MFC

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a sustainable technology that uses the energy of exoelectrically generated bacteria to convert waste into energy. However, the existing cathode materials have poor electrical conductivity and low electrochemical activity, which makes it difficult to improve the electricity generation efficiency of MFC, which seriously hinders the development of MFC. Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials formed by Zn and Co transition metals were grown on the surface of electrospun PAN nanofibers by in-situ growth method, and C nanofibers supported with bimetallic MOF skeleton nanoparticles were prepared by high temperature heat treatment (Zn-Co@NC). The two transition metal MOF scaffolders provide abundant defect structure and pore structure, and have excellent electrocatalytic activity. The developed Zn-Co@NC MFC cathode material significantly improves the material's electricity generation efficiency, and the power density of MFC can reach 1.37 W·m −2 . In this study, the performance of MFC cells is greatly improved, and the application potential of Zn-Co@NC as a cathode material in high-performance MFC cells is demonstrated. • High specific surface area nanofiber materials with surface-grown MOF nanoparticles are prepared. • High power density of 1.37 W·m-2 MFC is achieved by Zn-Co@NC nanofibers-based air cathode. • Excellent electrochemical activity is exhibited by the rich defect structure and pore structure inside.