Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kyung Hee University - Global Campus, Yongin-Si, South Korea.
Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Trends Biotechnol. 2024 Jul;42(7):815-828. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.12.010. Epub 2024 Feb 14.
Electroautotrophic microbes at biocathodes in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can catalyze the hydrogen evolution reaction with low energy demand, facilitating long-term stable performance through specific and renewable biocatalysts. However, MECs have not yet reached commercialization due to a lack of understanding of the optimal microbial strains and reactor configurations for achieving high performance. Here, we critically analyze the criteria for the inocula selection, with a focus on the effect of hydrogenase activity and microbe-electrode interactions. We also evaluate the impact of the reactor design and key parameters, such as membrane type, composition, and electrode surface area on internal resistance, mass transport, and pH imbalances within MECs. This analysis paves the way for advancements that could propel biocathode-assisted MECs toward scalable hydrogen gas production.
生物电化学电池（MEC）中的生物阴极上的电自养微生物可以用低能耗催化析氢反应，通过特定的可再生生物催化剂实现长期稳定的性能。然而，由于缺乏对实现高性能的最佳微生物菌株和反应器配置的理解，MEC 尚未实现商业化。在这里，我们批判性地分析了接种物选择的标准，重点关注氢化酶活性和微生物-电极相互作用的影响。我们还评估了反应器设计和关键参数（例如膜类型、组成和电极表面积）对 MEC 内内阻、质量传输和 pH 失衡的影响。这项分析为推动生物阴极辅助 MEC 向可扩展的氢气生产迈进铺平了道路。
