Summary Low power limits the application of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Our research mainly focuses on the modification of the electrode and looking for new anode material for high‐power marine benthic microbial fuel cells(BMFCs). A MnO2/PPy composite‐modified anode was fabricated by in situ chemical polymerization. Surface topography and properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy, respectively, indicating that the MnO2/PPy composite is of a ‘mosaic‐like’ microstructure. The electrochemical performance and wettability of different kinds of anode were investigated respectively. Cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry tests show that MnO2/PPy composite‐modified electrode has a typical capacitance feature; its capacitance is 3.1 times higher than that of unmodified electrode. Contact angle of the composite‐modified anode reduces to 46 ± 0.5°, and its kinetic activity increased for more than 1.1 times. The maximum output power density of MnO2/PPy composite‐modified cell reached 562.7 ± 10 mW m−2, which is 2.1‐fold of the unmodified one. Finally, the composite‐modified anode provides an alternative potential choice for high‐performance cell, and the possible influence mechanism of composite materials on the BMFCs was also analyzed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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A novel anode modified by 1,5-dihydroxyanthraquinone/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (DAQ/MWCNTs) composite was fabricated in order to improve its electrochemical performance in marine sediment microbial fuel cell (MSMFC).The number of microbes on the DAQ/MWCNTs modified anode is 18.02 times of blank anode, and it has the best electrochemical performance compared with other anodes. Its exchange current density and biofilm capacitance are 1472.15 times and 18.66 times higher than that of blank anode, respectively. The maximum power density of composite modified MSMFC (890.12 mW·m −2 ) is 3.01-fold of blank cell (296.11 mW·m −2 ). The mechanism analysis of DAQ/ MWCNTs shows that DAQ, as an electron-transfer mediator, can accelerate electron transfer to benefit the electrochemical performance of anode. This provides a new anode modification method for the development of high power MSMFC as long-term power source to drive monitoring instruments.