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Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) require low-cost and sustainable bioelectrodes to increase power output and waste treatment capacity.

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Representative MFC — matched on the paper’s system type only, not its reactor or geometry.

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What they did

System
MFC

What worked

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Abstract

Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) produce electricity as a result of the microbial metabolism of organic substrates, hence they represent a sustainable approach for energy production and waste treatment. If the technology is to be implemented in industry, low cost and sustainable bioelectrodes must be developed to increase power output, increase waste treatment capacity, and improve service intervals. Although the current application of abiotic electrode catalysts, such as platinum and electrode binders such as Nafion leads to greater MFC performance, their use is cost prohibitive. Novel bioelectrodes which use cost effective and sustainable materials are being developed. These electrodes are developed with the intention to reduce start‐up time, reduce costs, extend life‐span and improve core MFC performance metrics (i.e. power density, current density, chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction and Coulombic efficiency (CE)). Comparison of different MFC systems is not an easy task. This is due to variations in MFC design, construction, operation, and different inocula (in the case of mixed‐culture MFCs). This high intra‐system variability should be considered when assessing MFC data, operation and performance. This review article examines the major issues surrounding bioanode and biocathode improvement in different MFC systems, with the ultimate goal of streamlining and standardising improvement processes. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

Key findings

  • Current abiotic electrode catalysts are cost-prohibitive and hinder MFC performance.
  • Novel bioelectrodes using cost-effective and sustainable materials are being developed to improve MFC performance metrics.
  • Intra-system variability in MFC design, construction, operation, and inocula makes comparison of different MFC systems challenging.

Keywords

Microbial fuel cellProcess engineeringFaraday efficiencyBiochemical engineeringChemical energyElectricity

Identifiers

DOI
10.1002/jctb.5916
Journal
Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology
Year
2019