Abstract
Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are emerging
technologies which use microorganisms to catalyze the
reactions at the anode and/or cathode. BES research is
advancing rapidly, and a whole range of applications using
different electron donors and acceptors has already been
developed. In this mini review, we focus on technological
aspects of the expanding application of BESs. We will
analyze the anode and cathode half-reactions in terms of
their standard and actual potential and report the overpotentials
of these half-reactions by comparing the reported
potentials with their theoretical potentials. When combining
anodes with cathodes in a BES, new bottlenecks and
opportunities arise. For application of BESs, it is crucial to
lower the internal energy losses and increase productivity at
the same time. Membranes are a crucial element to obtain
high efficiencies and pure products but increase the internal
resistance of BESs. The comparison between production of
fuels and chemicals in BESs and in present production
processes should gain more attention in future BES
research. By making this comparison, it will become clear
if the scope of BESs can and should be further developed
into the field of biorefineries.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1673-1685 |
Journal | Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology |
Volume | 85 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2010 |
Keywords
- microbial fuel-cells
- waste-water treatment
- electricity-generation
- electrolysis cells
- biocatalyzed electrolysis
- electrochemical reduction
- cellulose degradation
- hydrogen-production
- exchange membranes
- copper electrode