Cui Shihao, Wang Rui, Chen Qing, Pugliese Lorenzo, Wu Shubiao
Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830, Tjele, Denmark.
Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark.
Environ Sci Ecotechnol. 2024 Jul 2;22:100446. doi: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100446. eCollection 2024 Nov.
The efficiency of direct electron flow from electron donors to electron acceptors in redox reactions is significantly influenced by the spatial separation of these components. Geobatteries, a class of redox-active substances naturally present in soil-water systems, act as electron reservoirs, reversibly donating, storing, and accepting electrons. This capability allows the temporal and spatial decoupling of redox half-reactions, providing a flexible electron transfer mechanism. In this review, we systematically examine the critical role of geobatteries in influencing electron transfer and utilization in environmental biogeochemical processes. Typical redox-active centers within geobatteries, such as quinone-like moieties, nitrogen- and sulfur-containing groups, and variable-valent metals, possess the potential to repeatedly charge and discharge. Various characterization techniques, ranging from qualitative methods like elemental analysis, imaging, and spectroscopy, to quantitative techniques such as chemical, spectroscopic, and electrochemical methods, have been developed to evaluate this reversible electron transfer capacity. Additionally, current research on the ecological and environmental significance of geobatteries extends beyond natural soil-water systems (e.g., soil carbon cycle) to engineered systems such as water treatment (e.g., nitrogen removal) and waste management (e.g., anaerobic digestion). Despite these advancements, challenges such as the complexity of environmental systems, difficulties in accurately quantifying electron exchange capacity, and scaling-up issues must be addressed to fully unlock their potential. This review underscores both the promise and challenges associated with geobatteries in responding to environmental issues, such as climate change and pollutant transformation.
氧化还原反应中电子从供体直接流向受体的效率受到这些组分空间分离的显著影响。地电池是一类天然存在于土壤 - 水系统中的氧化还原活性物质，充当电子储存库，可逆地捐赠、储存和接受电子。这种能力使得氧化还原半反应在时间和空间上解耦，提供了一种灵活的电子转移机制。在本综述中，我们系统地研究了地电池在影响环境生物地球化学过程中电子转移和利用方面的关键作用。地电池内典型的氧化还原活性中心，如醌类部分、含氮和含硫基团以及可变价金属，具有反复充电和放电的潜力。已经开发了各种表征技术，从定性方法如元素分析、成像和光谱学，到定量技术如化学、光谱和电化学方法，以评估这种可逆电子转移能力。此外，目前关于地电池生态和环境意义的研究已从自然土壤 - 水系统（如土壤碳循环）扩展到工程系统，如水处理（如脱氮）和废物管理（如厌氧消化）。尽管取得了这些进展，但仍需应对环境系统复杂性、准确量化电子交换容量的困难以及放大问题等挑战，以充分释放其潜力。本综述强调了地电池在应对气候变化和污染物转化等环境问题方面的前景和挑战。
