MOF-derived BiFeO₃/Co-NC hybrid electrocatalysts for enhanced oxygen reduction and energy recovery in microbial fuel cells

Developing cathode material using non-noble metal and carbon catalysts enriched with nitrogen derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOF) represents a promising approach to amplify power generation capacity in microbial fuel cells (MFC). The key to elevate power output lies in improving the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance. During this investigation, a simple and practical method was employed to prepare BiFeO₃/Co-NC nanocomposite designed to serve as a highly efficient cathodic material. The BiFeO₃/Co-NC with numerous defects (I_D/I_G = 1.04) and higher surface area (225.52 m² g⁻¹) demonstrated remarkable activity toward ORR application. When integrated as the cathode of MFC, BiFeO₃/Co-NC (171.87 mW m⁻²) outperformed its individual components, Co-NC (133.56 mW m⁻²) and BiFeO₃ (103.14 mW m⁻²), as well as the bare cathode (68.53 mW m⁻²). The synergistic incorporation of BiFeO₃ into metalated and N-doped carbon matrix would provide a new understanding of catalyst behavior for green energy strategies.