Microbial Fuel Cells in Power Generation and Extended Applications

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been progressing at an amazing speed in the past few years, with higher power density but lower cost being continuously achieved. However, most of the studies to date have been conducted at laboratory scale, and many technological and economic barriers remain to be overcome prior to large-scale application of the MFC technique. In recent years, China has been playing an increasingly important role in this field, and has contributed considerably to moving MFCs forward toward large-scale implementations for both power generation and extended applications. Nevertheless, the development of MFCs is still in its infancy, the power density needs to be further improved, the cost reduced and a better understanding gained on the underlying mechanisms of electron generation and flow. All these warrant further investigations at both laboratory and pilot levels, and more cooperation of scientists and engineers from different disciplines and countries. In this review, we highlight the progress achieved to date in MFC technology, especially in China, and discuss the challenges and future opportunities.