Recent developments on functional nanomaterial-based electrodes for microbial fuel cells

Abstract

For a fuel cell, key figures of merit for operation are recognized as efficiency and low costs (for manufacturing and operating). Conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy via oxidation-reduction reactions is dependent on the performance (and efficiency) of the anode and cathode materials used in the fuel cell. In the past few years, the significance of the electrode material has been recognized from various research studies aimed to improve its performance and efficiency of fuel cells. In this review paper, various developments in electrode materials for microbial fuel cells (MFC) are discussed. In this application, modification of anode material to seek compatibility with microorganisms is a major concern for the enhancement of the power generation. To this end, various strategies have been discussed in detail to effectively enhance MFC properties. This paper focuses on the role of different nanomaterials and their composites as electrode materials (with a major emphasis on anode application) in MFCs based on the evaluation of their performance in relation to their properties. Further promising pathways for the future research in this area have been identified and discussed.