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Open research questions in Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation

47 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 239 Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • CDI's performance is often limited by co-ion expulsion, incomplete pore utilisation, and reduced charge efficiency, particularly under high-salinity or multi-ionic conditions. Competing ORR pathways, hydrogen evolution, and carbon corrosion under acidic and oxidative conditions reduce energy efficiency and electrode lifespan. Fouling by natural organic matter and inorganic scaling further degrades salt adsorption capacity in real water matrices.

    Modified carbon electrodes as multifunctional platforms for next-generation water and wastewater treatment · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap between laboratory studies and practical operation in the application of carbonaceous electrodes. The need for innovative solutions to address the escalating complexity of contaminants and inherent limitations of conventional methods. The requirement for further research to overcome key challenges in scaling laboratory innovations to practical large-scale systems.

    Modified carbon electrodes as multifunctional platforms for next-generation water and wastewater treatment · 2026 · DOI

  • The bio-battery's efficiency and electrical power production need to be increased. The use of fossil fuels harms the environment and depletes resources. The development of alternative energy sources that are environmentally friendly, sustainable, and easily accessible is an urgent need.

    A Study on the Potential of Natural Liquid Electrolytes from Lime Peel, Starfruit, and White Vinegar for Renewable Energy Bio-Batteries · 2026 · DOI

  • Low current density. Limited electron transfer between microorganisms and electrodes. Instability of electroactive biofilms.

    Conductive Hydrogels and Biofilm in Microbial Fuel Cells: Scientific Mapping and Research Evolution (2010–2024) · 2026 · DOI

  • Scaling of MFC systems from laboratory reactors to industrial-scale chambers requires validation of electron transfer mechanisms and bioelectricity production stability; performance data for large-scale MFC configurations operating at high voltage and current outputs using series connection of cells is currently unavailable.

    Electron transfer mechanism in microbial fuel cells · 2026 · DOI

  • Anode material development for improved electron transfer kinetics has not been comprehensively compared across different waste substrates; studies must evaluate anode performance under varying substrate compositions (carbon source types and concentrations) in real wastewater remediation conditions.

    Electron transfer mechanism in microbial fuel cells · 2026 · DOI

  • EF and its engineering are emerging as a viable and strategic method for mitigating heavy metal contamination in mining wastewater. Current evidence believes that EF systems can augment metal removal efficiencies, while minimizing chemical demand and supporting resource recovery targets. This offers EF as a potential complement or alternative to traditional treatment methods, especially in mining areas encountering increasing environmental hazards and stricter regulatory constraints. EF operation at low external voltages also offers an energy-efficient alternative to conventional electroplating, in line with global decarbonization goals for the industrial sector. Looking ahead, several research directions offer promising opportunities to advance the field. The development of low-cost, corrosion-resistant, and high-surface-area electrode materials from biochar could significantly improve cost-effectiveness and scalability. The integration of DIET through conductive media can lead to microbial syntrophic, stabilize redox processes, and improve metal immobilization efficiency. In the meantime, the protection of metal-tolerant consortia through microbial immobilization in EF engineering is able to improve microbial stability. Unfortunately, there are still several technical, biological, economic, and regulatory challenges that limit largescale application of EF engineering. First, the simultaneous removal of multiple metals at low concentrations remains technically challenging due to competitive interactions and fluctuating redox conditions. Subsequently, the durability and electrochemical stability of electrodes as well as extracellular electron transfer in metabolic processes in AMD treating remain major concerns. Long-term metal precipitation can form an insulating layer on the Current Pollution Reports (2026) 12:19 1 3 cathode (sometimes called electrode corrosion, passivation, and biofouling) [25, 94, 95]. This phenomenon drastically reduces electron transfer efficiency and requires frequent and intense cost regeneration [19, 20, 27]. In biological constraints, heavy metals exert toxic effects on electroactive and fermentative microbial communities which further disrupt membrane integrity and inhibit microbial redox metabolism [89, 91]. Besides, microbial community dynamics under electro-stimulated conditions are not yet fully understood. This can limit the rational engineering of consortia optimized for metal reduction, sulfide precipitation, and biosorption [96, 97]. The low organic carbon content in mining wastewater also hinders microbial metabolism.

    Electro-fermentation and its Engineering for Heavy Metal Removal From Mining Wastewater: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

  • Ibnu Maulana Hidayatullah1,2,3 · Soen Steven4 · Adi Kusmayadi5 · Adrian Oehmen6 · Ramaraj Boopathy7 · Nadia Adelia Salsabila Putri1 · Dawud Shibghotulloh8 · Christian Aslan9 Received: 28 January 2026 / Accepted: 20 April 2026 © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG…

    Electro-fermentation and its Engineering for Heavy Metal Removal From Mining Wastewater: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

  • The use of plant-derived organic substrates in microbial fuel cells is a relatively new area of research. There is a need to explore the potential of different types of plant-derived organic substrates. The scalability and efficiency of the process need to be further investigated.

    Role of Plant-Derived Organic Substrates in Microbial Fuel Cells: Green Energy Production and Wastewater Metal Treatment · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies the challenge of managing rice straw waste. The use of microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells can be limited by the availability of suitable substrates.

    Waste to energy through sustainable bioenergy and biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic waste using microbial fuel cell and microbial electrolysis cell · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the understanding of the influence of substrate characteristics on system efficiency. There is a need to investigate the performance of rice straw-derived substrates with different levels of complexity.

    Waste to energy through sustainable bioenergy and biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic waste using microbial fuel cell and microbial electrolysis cell · 2026 · DOI

  • Future studies could investigate the potential applications of the protein nanowires in electronic devices. Further research could focus on optimizing the synthesis of the protein nanowires. The study's findings could lead to further research on the development of sustainable and functional materials.

    Synthesis and biophysical characterization of bioengineered cytochrome nanowires · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the development of hybrid protein fibers that mimic the natural Geobacter extracellular nanowires. The study aims to address the lack of understanding of the thermal stability of these proteins.

    Synthesis and biophysical characterization of bioengineered cytochrome nanowires · 2026 · DOI

  • Additional tweaking is required to increase the bio battery's efficiency and electrical power production. Future research can focus on improving the bio-battery's efficiency and electrical power production.

    A Study on the Potential of Natural Liquid Electrolytes from Lime Peel, Starfruit, and White Vinegar for Renewable Energy Bio-Batteries · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies can explore the use of other types of agricultural waste as sources of raw materials. The development of other functional carbon materials from secondary biological resources can be investigated.

    COBALT-, NICKEL OXIDES-DOPED ACTIVATED CARBONS FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE: SYNTHESIS, STRUCTURE AND ELECTROANALYTICAL APPLICATION · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for affordable and cost-effective sources of raw materials for producing activated carbon. The lack of development of activated carbons from agricultural waste and their modification with transition metal ions.

    COBALT-, NICKEL OXIDES-DOPED ACTIVATED CARBONS FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE: SYNTHESIS, STRUCTURE AND ELECTROANALYTICAL APPLICATION · 2026 · DOI

  • The study suggests future research directions, including the development of nanomaterial-doped hydrogels and electro fermentation applications. The study highlights the importance of international collaboration in advancing research in the field.

    Conductive Hydrogels and Biofilm in Microbial Fuel Cells: Scientific Mapping and Research Evolution (2010–2024) · 2026 · DOI

  • ABSTRACT Microbial artificial photosynthesis offers a promising strategy for light‐driven biomanufacturing, yet its efficiency remains limited by the non‐selective conversion of photogenerated electrons into metabolically usable reducing power, causing energy dissipation and weak coupling between light capture and metabolic reactions.

    Defining Rational Photoelectron Routing for Targeted Intracellular Energy Transfer · 2026 · DOI

  • oneidensis EET cytochromes are chiral and spin-selective, the functional impact of chirality-induced spin selectivity in live cultures remains unknown.

    Magnetic field enables spin matching in spin-selective pathways to enhance current in bacteria · 2026 · DOI

  • Sustaining cell viability over extended periods remains a challenge. Optimised light and nutrient conditions are needed for future developments. Overpopulated cell loading could lead to photoinhibition resulting in lower electrical outputs.

    Immobilized microalgae-driven triboelectric nanogenerators for sustainable bioelectricity production · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for optimised light and nutrient conditions for future developments. The exploration of the potential of microalgae as a tribolayer for energy harvesting.

    Immobilized microalgae-driven triboelectric nanogenerators for sustainable bioelectricity production · 2026 · DOI

  • The mechanism underlying the interplay between enzymatic activity and redox-active metals remains a major scientific challenge. The assumption that oxidative decomposition is maximized under fully oxic conditions has not been thoroughly tested.

    Synergy between reactive manganese species and enzymes drives litter decomposition hotspots · 2026 · DOI

  • Process intensification, intelligent monitoring, and hybrid systems have been proposed to provide some promising directions toward limiting the constraints of biological VOC treatment. The development of membrane-based and hybrid biological systems can improve the efficiency and stability of VOC treatment.

    From Biofilters to Biocatalysts: Advances in Biological Treatment of VOCs in Atmospheric Environments · 2026 · DOI

  • The technical bottlenecks, including fouling, clogging, and the formation of by-products, still hinder large-scale industrial use. The environmental trade-offs related to the treatment of biological VOCs, such as the formation of toxic intermediates and the emission of greenhouse gases.

    From Biofilters to Biocatalysts: Advances in Biological Treatment of VOCs in Atmospheric Environments · 2026 · DOI

  • The study focuses on a single bacterial strain (E. coli) and does not investigate the generalizability of this approach to other microorganisms or mixed microbial cultures.

    Enhanced Biophotocatalytic Performance via Photoinduced Interfacial Charge Transfer in MIP-208/E. coli Hybrids · 2026 · DOI

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47 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 239 Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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