Microbial fuel cells for biosensor applications.
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) face major hurdles for real-world applications as power generators with the exception of powering small sensor devices. Despite tremendous improvements made in the last two decades, MFCs are still too expensive to build and operate and their power output is still too small. In view of this, in recently years, intensive researches have been carried out to expand the applications into other areas such as acid and alkali production, bioremediation of aquatic sediments, desalination and biosensors. Unlike power applications, MFC sensors have the immediate prospect to be practical. This review covers the latest developments in various proposed biosensor applications using MFCs including monitoring microbial activity, testing biochemical oxygen demand, detection of toxicants and detection of microbial biofilms that cause biocorrosion.
Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Ecology Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Sustainable Energy & Environmental Technologies, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
Huijia
H
Yang
Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Ecology Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Sustainable Energy & Environmental Technologies, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China. zhoumh@nankai.edu.cn.
Minghua
M
Zhou
Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Ecology Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Sustainable Energy & Environmental Technologies, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
Mengmeng
M
Liu
Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Ecology Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Sustainable Energy & Environmental Technologies, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
Weilu
W
Yang
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA. gu@Ohio.edu.
Tingyue
T
Gu
D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods
Anaerobic digestion; Biocorrosion; Biofilms; Biosensors; Microbial fuel cell; Sensor; Wastewater treatment