Microbial Fuel Cells, Anaerobic Digestion, and Biohydrogen Production
This community focuses on converting organic waste and wastewater into energy carriers, specifically hydrogen and methane, using microbial metabolic processes.
The research centers on three primary technical pathways: microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for simultaneous electricity generation and wastewater treatment; anaerobic digestion (AD) for biogas and methane production from sludge and food waste; and dark fermentation for biohydrogen production. Recurring methods include optimizing electron transfer mechanisms, managing volatile fatty acids, and enhancing process efficiency through co-digestion. The work frequently addresses the inhibition of these processes by ammonia and the recovery of resources from sewage sludge and agricultural residues.
The largest share of the community's output is found in hydrogen research, accounting for 0.8% of all hydrogen research, and 4,345 papers here. This is followed by carbon research, with 2,722 papers representing 0.3% of that element's tracked literature.
The community comprises 12,974 papers, publishing most frequently in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Bioresource Technology, and Fuel.
Recent work continues to focus on optimizing biohydrogen yields from wastewater and agricultural residues, with a notable increase in studies applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to predict fermentation outcomes and optimize process parameters.