European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

MICROBIAL FUEL CELLS: A NEW DIMENSION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Uma Maheswari, Juveria Anjum Z., Adil Pasha N. and Geetika Pant*

ABSTRACT

Bioenergy is a renewable energy that plays an important role in meeting today’s ever increasing energy needs. Unlike biofuels, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) convert energy harvested from redox reactions directly into bioelectricity with the help of micro-organisms. Electrons produced by bacteria from their substrates are transferred to the anode and flow to the cathode linked by a conductive material containing a resistor. The anodes of a MFCs behave as bacteria’s typical electron acceptor and thus, the movement of the electrons to the cathode of the MFC through a resistor, generate electricity. MFCs as a source of bioenergy production have accelerated the research worldwide and the technical aspects of MFCs have been reviewed extensively. This paper briefly focuses on the working principle of MFC technology, chamber design and construction, future outlook and the key players involved in research of MFC.

Keywords: MFC, bioenergy, electron transport, PEM.