title: A Gibbs Free Energy-Based Assessment of Microbial Electrocatalysis.
abstract: The use of microbial catalysts for electrode reactions enables novel bioremediation and bioproduction processes. To understand the electrochemical performance of the electrode reactions, knowledge of their thermodynamics is essential. We elaborate here on the Growth Reference System (GRS), simplifying thermodynamic calculations in the aforementioned context to, for example, demonstrate that cathodic bioprocesses generally suffer from higher overpotentials than do anodic processes. Abiotic hydrogen production cannot be thermodynamically excluded for any of the cathodic microbial electrosynthesis processes described thus far. Predictions for maximum biomass production correlated to electron flow are in line with experimental observations. We include a comprehensive set of thermodynamic and electrochemical data to support calculations relevant to the field of microbial electrocatalysis.
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Current address: Organic Waste Systems, Dok Noord 5, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gildemyn
authors.affiliation: Paques BV, PO Box 52, 8560 AB, Balk, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: René A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rozendal
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: korneel.rabaey@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Korneel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rabaey
mesh_terms: D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D002384:Catalysis; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D004735:Energy Transfer; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D013816:Thermodynamics