Issue 15, 2023

Phototrophic microbial fuel cells: a greener approach to sustainable power generation and wastewater treatment

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) rely on the capacity of electrode-adhered electroactive bacteria to oxidize organic matter and generate electrons. Typical MFCs are highly engineered systems that can be applied as green tools to alleviate the burden of waste streams. Phototrophic MFCs (PhMFCs) are a promising variant that can be implemented indoors or outdoors and use the power of the sun to boost efforts in on-site environmental remediation, biomass generation, and power generation. PhMFC variations include plant-based and algal-based MFCs. Algal-based MFCs can incorporate special photosynthetic action at either the anode or cathode, enhancing or replacing the role of other bacteria in regular bacterial MFCs. Plant-based MFCs can be more complex due to the role of the root system near an electrode and its interaction with electrode-adhered bacteria, and they are nearly universally operated outdoors in either natural or engineered conditions. This review emphasizes the potential of phototrophic MFCs in achieving true carbon neutrality, producing bioelectricity, and detecting toxic substances in wastewater sources. It also identifies gaps, such as the need for certain optimizations, coupling with new enabling technologies and the potential for combining photosynthetic microbes and plants into the same system. Overall, the future prospects for phototrophic MFCs to contribute to sustainable wastewater treatment and energy generation are promising.

Graphical abstract: Phototrophic microbial fuel cells: a greener approach to sustainable power generation and wastewater treatment

  • This article is part of the themed collection: Biorefining

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
04 شعبان 1444
Accepted
17 شوال 1444
First published
25 شوال 1444

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2023,7, 3482-3504

Phototrophic microbial fuel cells: a greener approach to sustainable power generation and wastewater treatment

J. M. Sonawane, A. Vijay, T. Deng, P. C. Ghosh and J. Greener, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2023, 7, 3482 DOI: 10.1039/D3SE00237C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements