Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, Gyeongsang National University, Gyeongsangnam-do 53064, Republic of Korea.
Multiscale Reaction Engineering, KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
Bioresour Technol. 2021 Jan;320(Pt B):124363. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124363. Epub 2020 Nov 4.
Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) technology is a promising bioelectrochemical hydrogen production technology that utilizes anodic bio-catalytic oxidation and cathodic reduction processes. MECs require a lower external energy input than water electrolysis; however, as they also require the application of external power sources, this inevitably renders MEC systems a less sustainable option. This issue is the main obstacle hindering the practical application of MECs. Therefore, this review aims to introduce a self-sustainable MEC technology by combining conventional MECs with advanced carbon-neutral technologies, such as solar-, microbial-, osmotic-, and thermoelectric-powers (and their combinations). Moreover, new approaches to overcome the thermodynamic barriers and attain self-sustaining MECs are discussed in detail, thereby providing a working principle, current challenges, and future perspective in the field. This review provides comprehensive insights into reliable hydrogen production as well as the latest trends towards self-sustainable MECs for practical application.
微生物电解池（MEC）技术是一种很有前途的生物电化学制氢技术，它利用阳极生物催化氧化和阴极还原过程。MEC 比水电解需要的外部能量输入低；然而，由于它们也需要外部电源的应用，这不可避免地使 MEC 系统成为一个不太可持续的选择。这个问题是阻碍 MEC 实际应用的主要障碍。因此，本综述旨在通过将传统的 MEC 与先进的碳中性技术（如太阳能、微生物、渗透和热电（及其组合））相结合，介绍一种自可持续的 MEC 技术。此外，详细讨论了克服热力学障碍和实现自可持续 MEC 的新方法，从而提供了该领域的工作原理、当前挑战和未来展望。本综述全面介绍了可靠的制氢技术以及自可持续 MEC 的最新趋势，以实现实际应用。
