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Review
. 2022 Sep 30;11(4):44.
doi: 10.3390/biotech11040044.

A Review of Recent Advances in Microbial Fuel Cells: Preparation, Operation, and Application

Jianfei Wang  1 , Kexin Ren  1 , Yan Zhu  1 , Jiaqi Huang  1   2 , Shijie Liu  1
Affiliations
Review

A Review of Recent Advances in Microbial Fuel Cells: Preparation, Operation, and Application

Jianfei Wang et al. BioTech (Basel). .

Abstract

The microbial fuel cell has been considered a promising alternative to traditional fossil energy. It has great potential in energy production, waste management, and biomass valorization. However, it has several technical issues, such as low power generation efficiency and operational stability. These issues limit the scale-up and commercialization of MFC systems. This review presents the latest progress in microbial community selection and genetic engineering techniques for enhancing microbial electricity production. The summary of substrate selection covers defined substrates and some inexpensive complex substrates, such as wastewater and lignocellulosic biomass materials. In addition, it also includes electrode modification, electron transfer mediator selection, and optimization of operating conditions. The applications of MFC systems introduced in this review involve wastewater treatment, production of value-added products, and biosensors. This review focuses on the crucial process of microbial fuel cells from preparation to application and provides an outlook for their future development.

Keywords: electrode modification; genetic engineering; lignocellulosic biomass; microbial fuel cells; value-added products; wastewater treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The operation mechanism of a dual-chamber MFC.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Waste valorization by MFC systems.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The utilization of LCB substrates for MFC systems.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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