From Microbial Bioelectrocatalysis to Microbial Bioelectrochemical Systems

Abstract

The main driving force of microbial bioelectrochemistry is the development of a platform technology for different sustainable applications, based on microbial bioelectrocatalysis, often referred to as “microbial bioelectrochemical systems” (BES). Probably more than 90% of current BES research is dedicated to microbial fuel cells (MFCs), the archetype microbial bioelectrochemical system. Depending on the envisaged fields of application different concepts and types of microbial fuel cells have evolved. These include, for instance, benthic fuel cells, microbial fuel cells for autonomous robots, photomicrobial fuel cells, and the use of microbial fuel cells as biosensors. Microbial bioelectrocatalysts have recently attracted increasing attention due to a number of properties that clearly set them apart from enzyme-based bioelectrocatalysts. The current density is often used as a characteristic phenomenological measure for a certain electrode/biofilm system and is used as a criterion for comparison within and between studies.