Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1039/c4ee03359k
Title (Primary) Microbial electrochemistry and technology: terminology and classification
Author Schröder, U.; Harnisch, F. ORCID logo ; Angenent, L.T.
Source Titel Energy & Environmental Science
Year 2015
Department UMB
Volume 8
Issue 2
Page From 513
Page To 519
Language englisch
UFZ wide themes RU4;
Abstract Microbial electrochemistry is the study and application of interactions between living microbial cells and electrodes (i.e. electron conductors, capacitive materials). For a long time this subfield of bioelectrochemistry has been the interest of mainly fundamental researchers. This has considerably changed during the last decade and microbial electrochemistry gained interest from applied researchers and engineers. These researchers took the microbial fuel cell (MFC), which is a system that converts the chemical energy of organic material in wastewater into electric power, from a concept to a technology. In addition, a plethora of derivative technologies, such as microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), microbial desalination cells (MDCs), photomicrobial fuel cells (photoMFCs), microbial electrosynthesis (MES), and biocomputing have been developed. The growing number of systems is often referred to in literature under the termini bioelectrochemical system (BES), microbial electrochemical technology (MET), or electrobiotechnology. Within this article we introduce a classification of technologies based on interfacing microbiology and electrochemistry. We argue that BESs comprise all systems based on bioelectrochemistry, with a further layer of termini through the use of METs. Primary METs are based on extracellular electron transfer (direct or mediated), whereas secondary METs include systems in which electrochemistry is connected – at least through ionic contact – with a microbial process via the electrochemical control or adaptation of environmental parameters, such as pH or metabolite concentration level.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=15731
Schröder, U., Harnisch, F., Angenent, L.T. (2015):
Microbial electrochemistry and technology: terminology and classification
Energy Environ. Sci. 8 (2), 513 - 519 10.1039/c4ee03359k