title: Minimizing losses in bio-electrochemical systems: the road to applications.
abstract: Bio-electrochemical systems (BESs) enable microbial catalysis of electrochemical reactions. Plain electrical power production combined with wastewater treatment by microbial fuel cells (MFCs) has been the primary application purpose for BESs. However, large-scale power production and a high chemical oxygen demand conversion rates must be achieved at a benchmark cost to make MFCs economical competitive in this context. Recently, a number of valuable oxidation or reduction reactions demonstrating the versatility of BESs have been described. Indeed, BESs can produce hydrogen, bring about denitrification, or reductive dehalogenation. Moreover, BESs also appear to be promising in the field of online biosensors. To effectively apply BESs in practice, both biological and electrochemical losses need to be further minimized. At present, the costs of reactor materials have to be decreased, and the volumetric biocatalyst activity in the systems has to be increased substantially. Furthermore, both the ohmic cell resistance and the pH gradients need to be minimized. In this review, these losses and constraints are discussed from an electrochemical viewpoint. Finally, an overview of potential applications and innovative research lines is given for BESs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clauwaert
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aelterman
authors.forename: The Hai
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Liesje
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Schamphelaire
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carballa
authors.forename: Korneel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rabaey
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Verstraete
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000191:economics*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources / Q000191:economics*; D004566:Electrodes / Q000382:microbiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018508:Water Purification