Modern trend of anodes in microbial fuel cells (MFCs): An overview

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is highly efficient bioelectrochemical systems in which bacteria are utilized to oxidize the organic substrate and produce electricity. The main component of an MFCs is the anode, in which bacterial attachment is promoted and the generation and transfer of electrons occurs. Therefore, the interest of introducing novel and innovative anode materials for attaining a high performance of MFCs is a concern that is growing in the modern era. In this review article, different conventional and modern anode materials are briefly discussed considering their advantages and limitations. Among all, the natural biomass-derived materials were found as one of the best sources to meet the present challenges to utilize them as anodes in MFCs. The natural derived anodes presented some limitations which can be addressed through metal oxide composites as described in this article. The oxidation mechanism of pollutants on the surface of anode along with their bacterial interactions are also briefly summarized. This review is limited to the performance and development of the anode in MFCs. • Comparison of anode materials for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are well discussed. • Energy generation and pollutant oxidation mechanisms on anode are presented. • Utilization of natural biomass material to build the MFCs anode is promising. • Emerging trend in anodes: graphene derivatives and its composite-based material. • Addressing problems and future perspectives on the anode materials is critical.