The polyaniline/vapor grown carbon fiber (PANI/VGCF) was synthesized by in-situ polymerization, and SEM, FTIR, and TGA were used to investigate the microstructure, polymerization mechanism, and thermal stability. SEM images showed that polyaniline/vapor grown carbon fiber was at nano-scale, and the microstructure was similar with purified vapor grown carbon fiber, which indicated that the polymerization of aniline occurred on the surface of the carbon fibers. FTIR spectra gave further explanation of the composite mechanism and there was no new bond generated. The maximum power density of the microbial fuel cell with polyaniline/vapor grown carbon fiber as modification with a specific loading of 5 mg/cm2 was 299 mW/m2, which was 6.5 times higher than the unmodified microbial fuel cell. The EIS spectra fitted well to the Nyquist model and the equivalent circuit model was given. Polyaniline/vapor grown carbon fiber could be regarded as one economical and potential cathode catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cell.
