A review of the substrates used in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for sustainable energy production.

Scientific research has advanced on different microbial fuel cell (MFC) technologies in the laboratory at an amazing pace, with power densities having reached over 1 kW/m3 (reactor volume) and to 6.9 W/m2 (anode area) under optimal conditions. The main challenge is to bring these technologies out of the laboratory and engineer practical systems for bioenergy production at larger scales. Recent advances in new types of electrodes, a better understanding of the impact of membranes and separators on performance of these systems, and results from several new pilot-scale tests are all good indicators that commercialization of the technology could be possible within a few years. Some of the newest advances and future challenges are reviewed here with respect to practical applications of these MFCs for renewable energy production and other applications.

Scaling up microbial fuel cells and other bioelectrochemical systems

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been conceived and intensively studied as a promising technology to achieve sustainable wastewater treatment. However, doubts and debates arose in recent years regarding the technical and economic viability of this technology on a larger scale and in a real-world applications. Hence, it is time to think about and examine how to recalibrate this technology's role in a future paradigm of sustainable wastewater treatment. In the past years, many good ideas/approaches have been proposed and investigated for MFC application, but information is scattered. Various review papers were published on MFC configuration, substrates, electrode materials, separators and microbiology but there is lack of critical thinking and systematic analysis of MFC application niche in wastewater treatment. To systematically formulate a strategy of (potentially) practical MFC application and provide information to guide MFC development, this perspective has critically examined and discussed the problems and challenges for developing MFC technology, and identified a possible application niche whereby MFCs can be rationally incorporated into the treatment process. We propose integration of MFCs with other treatment technologies to form an MFC-centered treatment scheme based on thoroughly analyzing the challenges and opportunities, and discuss future efforts to be made for realizing sustainable wastewater treatment.

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Towards sustainable wastewater treatment by using microbial fuel cells-centered technologies

Recent progress in electrodes for microbial fuel cells.

Jinna Zhang

Papers

A microbial fuel cell using permanganate as the cathodic electron acceptor

Electricity generation from bio-treatment of sewage sludge with microbial fuel cell

A graphite-granule membrane-less tubular air-cathode microbial fuel cell for power generation under continuously operational conditions

Continuous electricity production from leachate in a novel upflow air-cathode membrane-free microbial fuel cell

A novel stainless steel mesh/cobalt oxide hybrid electrode for efficient catalysis of oxygen reduction in a microbial fuel cell.