Chapter 18 - Metal–organic frameworks as an emergent cathode catalyst

Abstract

Microbial electrochemical technologies (METs) are innovative and greener technologies for the yield of energy and valuable recoveries such as bioenergy, hydrogen, acetate, and CO2 sequestration along with concomitant wastewater treatment. The METs are the merger of technologies, which can transform the chemical energy present in the organic fraction of wastewater into electrical energy and valuable compounds. However, the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a sluggish reaction, which reduces the efficiency of the MET due to various losses at the cathode. In this regard, the application of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as an emergent cathode catalyst for the augmentation of the kinetic of ORR and production rate of various valuable is a plausible solution. Due to the high surface area, a spongy-like porous edifice, exceptional catalytic activity and versatile applications of MOFs make them highly competent cathode catalysts for enhancing the overall performance of METs. Hence there is an extensive scope for MOFs to be employed as low-cost cathode catalysts in METs and can enhance the efficacy by simultaneously lessening the fabrication cost of METs. In this regard, this chapter enlightens the detailed synthesis procedures, the reaction mechanism of MOFs, and the application of MOFs as cathode catalysts in METs, along with challenges and future directions.