Microbial Electrochemical Cells and Energy Efficiency in Biorefinery

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) offer a novel method of energy recovery from wastewater and have evolved to derive energy and products from biomass and organic waste. Originally, MFCs were developed to produce electricity from degradable organic matter present in wastewaters.1 Subsequently, microbial electrolysis emerged as a means of producing hydrogen, methane, and other products from the aqueous wastes.2,3 In a biorefinery, hydrogen has many uses, and its production from renewable resources derived from biomass can have significant environmental benefits. It can be used as a reagent to upgrade the biofuel to a higher octane fuel or to hydrogenate intermediates to higher value chemicals or as an alternate fuel itself.