Highly active bidirectional electron transfer by a self-assembled electroactive reduced-graphene-oxide-hybridized biofilm

Effect of pore size on the current produced by 3-dimensional porous microbial anodes: A critical review

Microbial anodes are the cornerstone of most electro-microbial processes. Designing 3-dimensional porous electrodes to increase the surface area of the electroactive biofilm they support is a key challenge in order to boost their performance. In this context, the critical review presented here aims to assess whether an optimal range of pore size may exist for the design of microbial anodes. Pore sizes of a few micrometres can enable microbial cells to penetrate but in conditions that do not favour efficient development of electroactive biofilms. Pores of a few tens of micrometres are subject to clogging. Sizes of a few hundreds of micrometres allow penetration of the biofilm inside the structure, but its development is limited by internal acidification. Consequently, pore sizes of a millimetre or so appear to be the most suitable. In addition, a simple theoretical approach is described to establish basis for porous microbial anode design.

Vertical alignment of polyaniline nanofibers on electrode surface for high-performance microbial fuel cells

Electrode modifications with conductive and nanostructured polyaniline (PANI) were recognized as efficient approach to improve interaction between electrode surface and electrogenic bacteria for boosting the performance of microbial fuel cell (MFC). However, it still showed undesirable performance because of the challenge to control the orientation (such as vertical alignment) of PANI nanostructure for extracellular electron transfer (EET). In this work, vertically aligned polyaniline (VA-PANI) on carbon cloth electrode surface were prepared by in-situ polymerization method (simply tuning the ratio of tartaric acid (TA) dopant). Impressively, the VA-PANI greatly improved the EET due to the increased opportunity to connect with conductive proteins. Eventually, MFC equipped with the VA-PANI electrodes delivered a power output of 853 mW/m², which greatly outperformed those electrodes modified with un-oriented PANI. This work provided the possibility to control the orientation of PANI for EET and promise to harvest energy from wastewater with MFC.

Enhanced sulfate reduction accompanied with electrically-conductive pili production in graphene oxide modified biocathodes

This study aimed to investigate the graphene oxide (GO) conversion by the sulfate-reducing biocathode and its modified effects on performance of the microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). Biocathodes were acclimated with autotrophic sulfate-reducing cultures using medium containing 500 mg L^-1 sulfate. Sulfate reductive rate in the MEC was 230 and 135 g m^-3 d^-1, respectively, with and without 30 mg L^-1 GO addition. Raman measurements showed that GO was efficiently reduced to graphene by the biocathode within 24 h. Higher electrochemical activity and smaller charge transfer resistance were detected on biofilm with GO affected. With high electrical conductivity of 307 ± 36 μS cm^-1, pili substance were observed on GO affected biofilm. As dominated by Desulfovibrio sp., the biocathode could use GO as the sole electron acceptor and maintained high activity. The results from this study should provide useful information for applications of nanomaterials in the biocathode MEC.

Significant enhancement of electron transfer from Shewanella oneidensis using a porous N-doped carbon cloth in a bioelectrochemical system

Modifying the surface of an anode can improve electron transfer, thus enhancing the performance of the associated bioelectrochemical system. In this study, a porous N-doped carbon cloth electrode was obtained via a simple thermal reduction and etching treatment, and then used as the anode in a bioelectrochemical system. The electrode has a high nitrogen-to‑carbon (N/C) ratio (~3.9%) and a large electrochemically active surface area (145.4 cm², about 4.4 times higher than that of the original carbon cloth), which increases the bacterial attachment and provides more active sites for extracellular electron transfer. Electrochemical characterization reveals that the peak anodic current (0.71 mA) of the porous N-doped carbon cloth electrode in riboflavin is 18 times higher than that of the original carbon cloth electrode (0.04 mA), confirming the presence of more electroactive sites for the redox reaction. We also obtained a maximum current density of 0.29 mA/cm² during operation of a bioelectrochemical system featuring the porous N-doped carbon cloth electrode, which is 14.5 times higher than that of the original carbon cloth electrode. This result demonstrates that the adoption of our new electrode is a viable strategy for boosting the performance of bioelectrochemical systems.

Biofilm systems as tools in biotechnological production

The literature provides more and more examples of research projects that develop novel production processes based on microorganisms organized in the form of biofilms. Biofilms are aggregates of microorganisms that are attached to interfaces. These viscoelastic aggregates of cells are held together and are embedded in a matrix consisting of multiple carbohydrate polymers as well as proteins. Biofilms are characterized by a very high cell density and by a natural retentostat behavior. Both factors can contribute to high productivities and a facilitated separation of the desired end-product from the catalytic biomass. Within the biofilm matrix, stable gradients of substrates and products form, which can lead to a differentiation and adaptation of the microorganisms' physiology to the specific process conditions. Moreover, growth in a biofilm state is often accompanied by a higher resistance and resilience towards toxic or growth inhibiting substances and factors. In this short review, we summarize how biofilms can be studied and what most promising niches for their application can be. Moreover, we highlight future research directions that will accelerate the advent of productive biofilms in biology-based production processes.

Enhanced denitrification by nano ɑ-Fe2O3 induced self-assembled hybrid biofilm on particle electrodes of three-dimensional biofilm electrode reactors

Three-dimensional biofilm electrode reactors (3D-BERs) represent a novel technology for wastewater denitrification. Formation of mature electroactive biofilm on particle electrodes is crucial to realize successful denitrification in 3D-BERs. However, long start-up time and low electroactivity of the biofilm formed on particle electrodes limit the further application of 3D-BERs in wastewater treatment. In this work, self-assembled hybrid biofilms (SAHB) was cultivated on granular activate carbon particle electrodes of the 3D-BER by assembling nano ɑ-Fe₂O₃ into the biofilm. ɑ-Fe₂O₃ was selected due to its high affinity to bacterial outer-membrane cytochromes, an important mediator for microbial electron transfer. SAHB formed on particle electrodes were characterized and the denitrification performance of 3D-BERs was also investigated. Results indicate that nano ɑ-Fe₂O₃ plays positive roles in the start-up of 3D-BER, which captures more microbes into SAHB and constructs thick biofilm on particle electrodes. Special microorganisms with denitrification function related with genera of Hydrogenophaga and Opitutus are distinctively enriched in SAHB. Nano ɑ-Fe₂O₃ induced SAHB exhibit superior denitrification performance compared to natural biofilm. The average denitrification rate increases from 0.62 mg total nitrogen/L/h for natural biofilm to 1.73 mg total nitrogen/L/h for SAHB, mainly ascribed to accelerated nitrites reduction. Our work provides new technical solution to enhance nitrates removal in 3D-BERs and brings deep insights into application of bio-electrochemical system in wastewater treatment.

A mediator-free whole-cell electrochemical biosensing system for sensitive assessment of heavy metal toxicity in water

A bioelectrochemical sensing system (BES) based on electroactive bacteria (EAB) has been used as a new and promising tool for water toxicity assessment. However, most EAB can reduce heavy metals, which usually results in low toxicity response. Herein, a starvation pre-incubation strategy was developed which successfully avoided the metal reduction during the toxicity sensing period. By integrating this starvation pre-incubation procedure with the amperometric BES, a sensitive, robust and mediator-free biosensing method for heavy metal toxicity assessment was developed. Under the optimized conditions, the IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) values for Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Cr⁶⁺ obtained were 0.35, 3.49, 6.52, 2.48 mg L^-1, respectively. The measurement with real water samples also suggested this method was reliable for practical application. This work demonstrates that it is feasible to use EAB for heavy metal toxicity assessment and provides a new tool for water toxicity warning.

Ornamental morphology of ionic liquid functionalized ternary doped N, P, F and N, B, F-reduced graphene oxide and their prevention activities of bacterial biofilm-associated with orthopedic implantation

The multifunctional biological active material design for bone tissue engineering is essential to induce osteoblast cell proliferation and attachment. Adhesion of bacteria on biomaterials to produce biofilms can be major contributors to the pathogenesis of implant material associated infections. This research work focuses on NPF& NBF elemental doping and functionalization of reduced graphene oxide using an imidazolium-based ionic liquid such as BMIM PF₆ and BMIM BF₄ by hydrothermal method. The resulting tri doped reduced graphene oxide (NPF-rGO and NBF-rGO) composite was further used as a scaffold for bone tissue engineering and anti-biofilm activities. The observation of the effect of NPF-rGO and NBF-rGO on the morphology, adhesion and cell proliferation of HOS cell was investigated. Moreover, the tri doped composite tested its antibiofilm properties against B. subtilis, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa pathogenic bacteria. In-vitro studies clearly show the effectiveness of N, P, B, and F doping promoting the rGO mineralization, biocompatibility, and destruction of bacterial biofilm formation. The result of this study suggests that NPF-rGO and NBF-rGO hybrid material will be a promising scaffold for bone reaeration and implantation with a minimal bacterial infection.

Promoting Shewanella Bidirectional Extracellular Electron Transfer for Bioelectrocatalysis by Electropolymerized Riboflavin Interface on Carbon Electrode

The extracellular electron transfer (EET) that connects the intracellular metabolism of electroactive microorganisms to external electron donors/acceptors, is the foundation to develop diverse microbial electrochemical technologies. For a particular microbial electrochemical device, the surface chemical property of an employed electrode material plays a crucial role in the EET process owing to the direct and intimate biotic-abiotic interaction. The functional modification of an electrode surface with redox mediators has been proposed as an effectual approach to promote EET, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this work, we investigated the enhancement of electrochemically polymerized riboflavin interface on the bidirectional EET of Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 for boosting bioelectrocatalytic ability. An optimal polyriboflavin functionalized carbon cloth electrode achieved about 4.3-fold output power density (∼707 mW/m2) in microbial fuel cells and 3.7-fold cathodic current density (∼0.78 A/m2) for fumarate reduction in three-electrode cells compared to the control, showing great increases in both outward and inward EET rates. Likewise, the improvement was observed for polyriboflavin-functionalized graphene electrodes. Through comparison between wild-type strain and outer-membrane cytochrome (MtrC/UndA) mutant, the significant improvements were suggested to be attributed to the fast interfacial electron exchange between the polyriboflavin interface with flexible electrochemical activity and good biocompatibility and the outer-membrane cytochromes of the Shewanella strain. This work not only provides an effective approach to boost microbial electrocatalysis for energy conversion, but also offers a new demonstration of broadening the applications of riboflavin-functionalized interface since the widespread contribution of riboflavin in various microbial EET pathways together with the facile electropolymerization approach.

Bidirectional extracellular electron transfers of electrode-biofilm: Mechanism and application

The extracellular electron transfer (EET) between microorganisms and electrodes forms the basis for microbial electrochemical technology (MET), which recently have advanced as a flexible platform for applications in energy and environmental science. This review, for the first time, focuses on the electrode-biofilm capable of bidirectional EET, where the electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) can conduct both the outward EET (from EAB to electrodes) and the inward EET (from electrodes to EAB). Only few microorganisms are tested in pure culture with the capability of bidirectional EET, however, the mixed culture based bidirectional EET offers great prospects for biocathode enrichment, pollutant complete mineralization, biotemplated material development, pH stabilization, and bioelectronic device design. Future efforts are necessary to identify more EAB capable of the bidirectional EET, to balance the current density, to evaluate the effectiveness of polarity reversal for biocathode enrichment, and to boost the future research endeavors of such a novel function.

Biodegradation of oxytetracycline and electricity generation in microbial fuel cell with in situ dual graphene modified bioelectrode

A three-step method to prepare dual graphene modified bioelectrode (D-GM-BE) in microbial fuel cell (MFC) in previous studies. This study explored the biodegradation of oxytetracycline (OTC) and electricity generation in O-D-GM-BE MFC. The OTC removal efficiency of graphene modified biocathode and bioanode (O-GM-BC, O-GM-BA) was 95.0% and 91.8% in eight days. The maximum power density generated by O-D-GM-BE MFC was 86.6 ± 5.1 mW m^-2, which was 2.1 times of that in OTC control bioelectrode (O-C-BE) MFC. The Rct of O-GM-BA and O-GM-BC were decreased significantly by 78.3% and 76.3%. OTC was biodegraded to monocyclic benzene compounds by bacteria. O-GM-BA was affected strongly by OTC, and Salmonella and Trabulsiella were accounted for 83.0%, while typical exoelectrogens (Geobacter) were still enriched after the maturity of biofilm. In O-GM-BC, bacteria related with OTC biodegradation (Comamonas, Ensifer, Sphingopyxis, Pseudomonas, Dechloromonas, etc.) were enriched, which contributed to the high removal efficiency of OTC.

A Facultative Electroactive Chromium(VI)-Reducing Bacterium Aerobically Isolated From a Biocathode Microbial Fuel Cell

A facultative electroactive bacterium, designated strain H, was aerobically isolated from the biocathode of a hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI))-reducing microbial fuel cell (MFC). Strain H is Gram-positive and rod shaped (1–3 μm length). 16S rRNA gene analysis suggested that this strain (accession number MH782060) belongs to the genus Bacillus and shows maximum similarity to Bacillus cereus whose electrochemical activity has never previously been reported. Moreover, this strain showed efficient Cr(VI)-reducing ability in both heterotrophic (aerobic LB broth) and autotrophic (anaerobic MFC cathode) environments. Cr(VI) removal reached 50.6 ± 1.8% after 20 h in LB broth supplemented with Cr(VI) (40 mg/L). The strain H biocathode significantly improved the performance of the Cr(VI)-reducing MFC, achieving a maximum power density of 31.80 ± 1.06 mW/m² and Cr(VI) removal rate of 2.56 ± 0.10 mg/L–h, which were 1.26 and 1.75 times higher than those of the MFC with the sterile control cathode, respectively. This study offers a novel Gram-positive Bacillus sp. strain for Cr(VI) removal in MFCs, and shows a facile aerobic isolation method could be used to screen facultative electroactive bacteria.

Inhibitory effect of cadmium(II) ion on anodic electrochemically active biofilms performance in bioelectrochemical systems

Cadmium(II) ion can affect the anode performance of bioelectrochemical systems (BES); however, how the presence of Cd²⁺ affect the extracellular electron transfer of anodic electrochemically active biofilms (EABs), the microbial viability and species composition of microorganism on the anode remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effect of Cd²⁺ at different concentrations on the electrochemical performance and the biofilm community in mixed-culture enriched BES. The electrochemical performance of the BES was not inhibited at 2 mg L^-1 Cd²⁺, while higher concentrations of 5-20 mg L^-1 resulted in the decrease in the maximum power density, with 0.34 ± 0.01 W m^-2 at 5 mg L^-1, 0.28 ± 0.01 W m^-2 at 10 mg L^-1, and 0.17 ± 0 W m^-2 at 20 mg L^-1, respectively. When adding 30 mg/L Cd²⁺, there was almost no power output. The decline of the power output was possibly ascribed to the suppressed viability and the change of species richness as evident from confocal laser scanning microscopy and microbial community analysis. Cyclic voltammogram and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that high concentration of Cd²⁺ exceeding 5 mg L^-1 can inhibit the secretion of outer membrane cytochromes, thus reducing the electron transfer between the EABs and the anode surface. Analysis of bacterial structures showed a decrease in Geobacter accompanied by an increase in Stenotrophomonas and Azospira in response to Cd²⁺ at 10 and 20 mg L^-1. This study added to the in-depth analysis of the inhibition of Cd²⁺ on EABs, and provided new insights into the removing Cd²⁺ and organics simultaneously in BES.

PEDOT:PSS-based Multilayer Bacterial-Composite Films for Bioelectronics

Microbial electrochemical systems provide an environmentally-friendly means of energy conversion between chemical and electrical forms, with applications in wastewater treatment, bioelectronics, and biosensing. However, a major challenge to further development, miniaturization, and deployment of bioelectronics and biosensors is the limited thickness of biofilms, necessitating large anodes to achieve sufficient signal-to-noise ratios. Here we demonstrate a method for embedding an electroactive bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, inside a conductive three-dimensional poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) matrix electropolymerized on a carbon felt substrate, which we call a multilayer conductive bacterial-composite film (MCBF). By mixing the bacteria with the PEDOT:PSS precursor in a flow-through method, we maintain over 90% viability of S. oneidensis during encapsulation. Microscopic analysis of the MCBFs reveal a tightly interleaved structure of bacteria and conductive PEDOT:PSS up to 80 µm thick. Electrochemical experiments indicate S. oneidensis in MCBFs can perform both direct and riboflavin-mediated electron transfer to PEDOT:PSS. When used in bioelectrochemical reactors, the MCBFs produce 20 times more steady-state current than native biofilms grown on unmodified carbon felt. This versatile approach to control the thickness of bacterial composite films and increase their current output has immediate applications in microbial electrochemical systems, including field-deployable environmental sensing and direct integration of microorganisms into miniaturized organic electronics.

Enhanced sulfate and metal removal by reduced graphene oxide self-assembled Enterococcus avium sulfate-reducing bacteria particles

Graphene oxide (GO) was introduced to Enterococcus avium strain BY7 sulfate-reducing bacteria culture as a carrier, GO was partially reduced by SRB to reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The rGO could further self-assemble Enterococcus avium strain BY7 sulfate-reducing bacteria to form BY-rGO particles. Growth and sulfate reduction activity of strain BY7 was promoted by rGO, which probably due to the protective effect of rGO, and enhanced electron transfer by rGO as electron shuttle. Effects of pH and temperature variance on strain BY-rGO were remarkably weakened, growth and sulfate reduction were observed from pH 2.0 to 12.0, and from 10 to 45 °C, respectively. Metal toxicity to BY7 strain SRB was sharply decreased in BY-rGO particles and heavy metal removal was remarkably accelerated (up to 50%). The immobilization methods established in this study might open a new way for the application of SRBs, especially under extreme environmental conditions.

Bread-derived 3D macroporous carbon foams as high performance free-standing anode in microbial fuel cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising clean energy source to directly convert waste chemicals to available electric power. However, the practical application of MFCs needs the increased power density, enhanced energy conversion efficiency and reduced electrode material cost. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) macroporous N, P and S co-doped carbon foams (NPS-CFs) were prepared by direct pyrolysis of the commercial bread and employed as free-standing anodes in MFCs. As-obtained NPS-CFs have a large specific surface area (295.07 m² g^-1), high N, P and S doping level, and excellent electrical conductivity. A maximum areal power density of 3134 mW m^-2 and current density of 7.56 A m^-2 are generated by the MFCs equipped with as-obtained NPS-CF anodes, which is 2.57- and 2.63-fold that of the plain carbon cloth anodes (areal power density of 1218 mW m^-2 and current density of 2.87 A m^-2), respectively. Such improvement is explored to mainly originate from two respects: the good biocompatibility of NPS-CFs favors the bacterial adhesion and enrichment of electroactive Geobacter species on the electrode surface, while the high conductivity and improved bacteria-electrode interaction efficiently promote the extracellular electron transfer (EET) between the bacteria and the anode. This study provides a low-cost and sustainable way to fabricate high power MFCs for practical applications.

Influence of cytochrome charge and potential on the cathodic current of electroactive artificial biofilms

An electroactive artificial biofilm has been optimized for the cathodic reduction of fumarate by Shewanella oneidensis. The system is based on the self-assembly of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with bacterial cells in the presence of a c-type cytochrome. The aggregates are then deposited on an electrode to form the electroactive artificial biofilm. Six c-type cytochromes have been studied, from bovine heart or Desulfuromonas and Desulfuvibrio strains. The isoelectric point of the cytochrome controls the self-assembly process that occurs only with positively-charged cytochromes. The redox potential of the cytochrome is critical for electron transfer reactions with membrane cytochromes of the Mtr pathway. Optimal results have been obtained with c₃ from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough having an isoelectric point of 10.2 and redox potentials of the four hemes ranging between -290 and -375 mV vs SHE. A current density of 170 μA cm^-2 could be achieved in the presence of 50 mM fumarate. The stability of the electrochemical response was evaluated, showing a regular decrease of the current within 13 h, possibly due to the inactivation or leaching of loosely-bound cytochromes from the biofilm.

Effects of surface charge, hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity on functional biocathode catalytic efficiency and community structure

The bioelectrotransformation efficiency of various organic matters and corresponding electrode biofilm community formation as well as electron transfer efficiency in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) with different modified electrodes has been extensively studied on the anode side. However, the effects of cathode interface characteristics towards the BESs bioelectrotransformation performance remain poorly understood. In this study, the nitrobenzene-reducing biocathode catalytic efficiency and community structure in response to different modified electrodes (control: hydrophobic and no charge; -SH: hydrophobic and single negative charge; -NH₂: hydrophilic and single positive charge -NH-NH₂: hydrophilic and double positive charges) were investigated. The biocathode transformation efficiency of nitrobenzene (NB) to aniline (AN) (E_NB-AN) was affected by the nature of electrode interface as well as the biocathode community formation and structure. Cathodes with hydrophilic surface and positive charges have performed well in the bioelectrotransformation experiments, and especially made an outstanding performance when inorganic NaHCO₃ was supplied as carbon source and cathode as the sole electron donor. Importantly, the hydrophilic surfaces with positive charges were dominated by the electroactive nitroaromatic reducers (Enterococcus, Desulfovibrio and Klebsiella) with the relative abundance as high as 72.20 ± 1.87% and 74.86 ± 8.71% for -NH₂ and -NH-NH₂ groups respectively. This could explain the higher E_NB-AN in the hydrophilic groups than that of the hydrophobic -SH modified group. This study provides new insights into the effects of electrode interface characteristics on the BESs biocathode performance and offers some suggestions for the future design for the improvement of bioelectroremediation performance.

Hierarchically Porous N-Doped Carbon Nanotubes/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for Promoting Flavin-Based Interfacial Electron Transfer in Microbial Fuel Cells

Interfacial electron transfer between an electroactive biofilm and an electrode is a crucial step for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and other bio-electrochemical systems. Here, a hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite with polyaniline as the nitrogen source has been developed for the MFC anode. This composite possesses a nitrogen atom-doped surface for improved flavin redox reaction and a three-dimensional hierarchically porous structure for rich bacterial biofilm growth. The maximum power density achieved with the N-CNTs/rGO anode in S. putrefaciens CN32 MFCs is 1137 mW m^-2, which is 8.9 times compared with that of the carbon cloth anode and also higher than those of N-CNTs (731.17 mW m^-2), N-rGO (442.26 mW m^-2), and the CNTs/rGO (779.9 mW m^-2) composite without nitrogen doping. The greatly improved bio-electrocatalysis could be attributed to the enhanced adsorption of flavins on the N-doped surface and the high density of biofilm adhesion for fast interfacial electron transfer. This work reveals a synergistic effect from pore structure tailoring and surface chemistry designing to boost both the bio- and electrocatalysis in MFCs, which also provide insights for the bioelectrode design in other bio-electrochemical systems.

A novel photoactive and three-dimensional stainless steel anode dramatically enhances the current density of bioelectrochemical systems

This study reports a high-performance 3D stainless-steel photoanode (3D SS photoanode) for bioelectrochemical systems (BESs). The 3D SS photoanode consists of 3D carbon-coated SS felt bioactive side and a flat α-Fe₂O₃-coated SS plate photoactive side. Without light illumination, the electrode reached a current density of 26.2 ± 1.9 A m^-2, which was already one of the highest current densities reported thus far. Under illumination, the current density of the electrode was further increased to 46.5 ± 2.9 A m^-2. The mechanism of the photo-enhanced current production can be attributed to the reduced charge-transfer resistance between electrode surface and the biofilm with illumination. It was also found that long-term light illumination can enhance the biofilm formation on the 3D SS photoanode. These findings demonstrate that using the synergistic effect of photocatalysis and microbial electrocatalysis is an efficient way to boost the current production of the existing high-performance 3D anodes for BESs.

Graphene oxide conjugated with polymers: a study of culture condition to determine whether a bacterial growth stimulant or an antimicrobial agent?

Background

The results showed that the deciding factor is the culture medium in which the bacteria and the graphene oxide (GO) are incubated at the initial manipulation step. These findings allow better use of GO and GO-based materials more and be able to clearly apply them in the field of biomedical nanotechnology.

Results

To study the use of GO sheets applied in the field of biomedical nanotechnology, this study determines whether GO-based materials [GO, GO-polyoxyalkyleneamine (POAA), and GO-chitosan] stimulate or inhibit bacterial growth in detail. It is found that it depends on whether the bacteria and GO-based materials are incubated with a nutrient at the initial step. This is a critical factor for the fortune of bacteria. GO stimulates bacterial growth and microbial proliferation for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and might also provide augmented surface attachment for both types of bacteria. When an external barrier that is composed of GO-based materials forms around the surface of the bacteria, it suppresses nutrients that are essential to microbial growth and simultaneously produces oxidative stress, which causes bacteria to die, regardless of whether they have an outer-membrane-Gram-negative-bacteria or lack an outer-membrane-Gram-positive-bacteria, even for high concentrations of biocompatible GO-POAA. The results also show that these GO-based materials are capable of inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent oxidative stress on bacteria. Besides, GO-based materials may act as a biofilm, so it is hypothesized that they suppress the toxicity of low-dose chitosan.

Conclusion

Graphene oxide is not an antimicrobial material but it is a general growth enhancer that can act as a biofilm to enhance bacterial attachment and proliferation. However, GO-based materials are capable of inducing ROS-dependent oxidative stress on bacteria. The applications of GO-based materials can clearly be used in antimicrobial surface coatings, surface-attached stem cells for orthopedics, antifouling for biocides and microbial fuel cells and microbial electro-synthesis.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12951-017-0328-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

One-step in situ growth of ZnS nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxides and their improved lithium storage performance using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose binder

ZnS nanoparticles are in situ grown on reduced graphene oxides (rGO) via a simplified one-step hydrothermal method. Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is firstly applied as the binder for ZnS based anodes and shows a more advantageous binding effect than PVDF. To simplify the synthesis procedure, l-cysteine is added as the sulfur source for ZnS and simultaneously as the reducing agent for rGO. The average diameter of ZnS nanoparticles is measured to be 13.4 nm, and they uniformly disperse on the rGO sheets without any obvious aggregation. As anode materials, the CMC bound ZnS–rGO nanocomposites can maintain a high discharge capacity of 705 mA h g⁻¹ at a current density of 500 mA g⁻¹ for 150 cycles. The significantly improved electrochemical performance mainly derives from the combined effects of the small and uniformly dispersed ZnS nanoparticles, the high conductivity and structural flexibility of rGO and the strong binding ability of CMC.

ZnS nanoparticles are in situ grown on reduced graphene oxides (rGO) via a simplified one-step hydrothermal method.

Enhance wastewater biological treatment through the bacteria induced graphene oxide hydrogel

The interaction between bacteria and graphene-family materials like pristine graphene, graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is such an elusive issue that its implication in environmental biotechnology is unclear. Herein, two kinds of self-assembled bio-rGO-hydrogels (BGHs) were prepared by cultivating specific Shewanella sp. strains with GO solution for the first time. The microscopic examination by SEM, TEM and CLSM indicated a porous 3D structure of BGHs, in which live bacteria firmly anchored and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) abundantly distributed. Spectra of XRD, FTIR, XPS and Raman further proved that GO was reduced to rGO by bacteria along with the gelation process, which suggests a potential green technique to produce graphene. Based on the characterization results, four mechanisms for the BGH formation were proposed, i.e., stacking, bridging, rolling and cross-linking of rGO sheets, through the synergistic effect of activities and EPS from special bacteria. More importantly, the BGHs obtained in this study were found able to achieve unique cleanup performance that the counterpart free bacteria could not fulfill, as exemplified in Congo red decolorization and Cr(VI) bioreduction. These findings therefore enlighten a prospective application of graphene materials for the biological treatment of wastewaters in the future.

Development and characterisation of self-assembled graphene hydrogel-based anodes for bioelectrochemical systems

In this work, we report a simple and scalable method to produce high efficiency 3D graphene-based electrodes (GH) for bioelectrochemical systems. GH were obtained by self-assembly of graphene oxide, through slow reduction with ascorbic acid over conductive mesh-works (carbon cloth and stainless-steel). The GH structure and composition were characterised by electron microscopy (SEM) and spectroscopy (FTIR and Raman), whereas the electrodes' performance was tested by chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetry in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) inoculated with a pure culture of G. sulfurreducens. The hydrogel had a broad pore size distribution (>1 μm), which allowed bacterial colonisation within the framework. The macro-porous structure and chemical properties of the hydrogel rendered a higher bacterial loading capacity and substrate oxidation rate than other carbonaceous materials, including different reported graphene electrodes, which significantly increased MEC performance.

A cheap, robust and versatile hydrogel-electrode is easily obtained by reduction of graphene-oxide; its colonisation by Geobacter resulted in high current densities.

Platinum-free, graphene based anodes and air cathodes for single chamber microbial fuel cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) exploit the ability of microorganisms to generate electrical power during metabolism of substrates. However, the low efficiency of extracellular electron transfer from cells to the anode and the use of expensive rare metals as catalysts, such as platinum, limit their application and scalability. In this study we investigate the use of pristine graphene based electrodes at both the anode and the cathode of a MFC for efficient electrical energy production from the metabolically versatile bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009. We achieve a volumetric peak power output (PV) of up to 3.51 ± 0.50 W m-3 using graphene based aerogel anodes with a surface area of 8.2 m2 g-1. We demonstrate that enhanced MFC output arises from the interplay of the improved surface area, enhanced conductivity, and catalytic surface groups of the graphene based electrode. In addition, we show a 500-fold increase in PV to 1.3 ± 0.23 W m-3 when using a graphene coated stainless steel (SS) air cathode, compared to an uncoated SS cathode, demonstrating the feasibility of a platinum-free, graphene catalysed MFCs. Finally, we show a direct application for microwatt-consuming electronics by connecting several of these coin sized devices in series to power a digital clock.

Porous metal-organic framework Cu3(BTC)2 as catalyst used in air-cathode for high performance of microbial fuel cell

Metal-organic framework Cu₃(BTC)₂, prepared by an easy hydrothermal method, was used as the oxygen-based catalyst in microbial fuel cell (MFC). The maximum power density of Cu₃(BTC)₂ modified air-cathode MFC was 1772±15mWm^-2, almost 1.8 times higher than the control. BET results disclosed high specific surface area of 2159.7m²g^-1 and abundant micropores structure. Regular octahedron and porous surface of Cu₃(BTC)₂ were observed in SEM. XPS testified the existence of divalent copper in the extended 3D frameworks, which importantly acted as the Lewis-acid sites or redox centers in ORR. Additionally, the total resistance decreased by 42% from 17.60 to 10.24Ω compared with bare AC electrode. The rotating disk electrode test results showed a four-electron transfer pathway for Cu₃(BTC)₂, which was crucial for electrochemical catalytic activity. All the structural and electrochemical advantages make Cu₃(BTC)₂ a promising catalyst for ORR in MFC.

High efficiency microbial electrosynthesis of acetate from carbon dioxide by a self-assembled electroactive biofilm

Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a biocathode-driven process, producing high-value chemicals from CO₂. Here, an in situ self-assembled graphene oxide (rGO)/biofilm was constructed, in MES, for high efficient acetate production. GO has been successfully reduced by electroautotrophic bacteria for the first time. An increase, of 1.5 times, in the volumetric acetate production rate, was obtained by self-assembling rGO/biofilm, as compared to the control group. In MES with rGO/biofilm, a volumetric acetate production rate of 0.17gl^-1d^-1 has been achieved, 77% of the electrons consumed, were recovered and the final acetate concentration reached 7.1gl^-1, within 40days. A three-dimensional rGO/biofilm was constructed enabling highly efficient electron transfer rates within biofilms, and between biofilm and electrode, demonstrating that the development of 3D electroactive biofilms, with higher extracellular electron transfer rates, is an effective approach to improving MES efficiency.

Bacterial community shift and incurred performance in response to in situ microbial self-assembly graphene and polarity reversion in microbial fuel cell

In this work, bacterial community shift and incurred performance of graphene modified bioelectrode (GM-BE) in microbial fuel cell (MFC) were illustrated by high throughput sequencing technology and electrochemical analysis. The results showed that Firmicutes occupied 48.75% in graphene modified bioanode (GM-BA), while Proteobacteria occupied 62.99% in graphene modified biocathode (GM-BC), both were dominant bacteria in phylum level respectively. Typical exoelectrogens, including Geobacter, Clostridium, Pseudomonas, Geothrix and Hydrogenophaga, were counted 26.66% and 17.53% in GM-BA and GM-BC. GM-BE was tended to decrease the bacterial diversity and enrich the dominant species. Because of the enrichment of exoelectrogens and excellent electrical conductivity of graphene, the maximum power density of MFC with GM-BA and GM-BC increased 33.1% and 21.6% respectively, and the transfer resistance decreased 83.8% and 73.6% compared with blank bioelectrode. This study aimed to enrich the microbial study in MFC and broaden the development and application for bioelectrode.

Bioelectrochemical biosensor for water toxicity detection: generation of dual signals for electrochemical assay confirmation

Toxicity assessment of water is of great important to the safety of human health and to social security because of more and more toxic compounds that are spilled into the aquatic environment. Therefore, the development of fast and reliable toxicity assessment methods is of great interest and attracts much attention. In this study, by using the electrochemical activity of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 cells as the toxicity indicator, 3,5-dichlorophenol (DCP) as the model toxic compound, a new biosensor for water toxicity assessment was developed. Strikingly, the presence of DCP in the water significantly inhibited the maximum current output of the S. oneidensis MR-1 in a three-electrode system and also retarded the current evolution by the cells. Under the optimized conditions, the maximum current output of the biosensor was proportional to the concentration of DCP up to 30 mg/L. The half maximal inhibitory concentration of DCP determined by this biosensor is about 14.5 mg/L. Furthermore, simultaneous monitoring of the retarded time (Δt) for current generation allowed the identification of another biosensor signal in response to DCP which could be employed to verify the electrochemical result by dual confirmation. Thus, the present study has provided a reliable and promising approach for water quality assessment and risk warning of water toxicity.

Bacterial community shift and improved performance induced by in situ preparing dual graphene modified bioelectrode in microbial fuel cell

Dual graphene modified bioelectrode (D-GM-BE) was prepared by in situ microbial-induced reduction of graphene oxide (GO) and polarity reversion in microbial fuel cell (MFC). Next Generation Sequencing technology was used to elucidate bacterial community shift in response to improved performance in D-GM-BE MFC. The results indicated an increase in the relative ratio of Proteobacteria, but a decrease of Firmicutes was observed in graphene modified bioanode (GM-BA); increase of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were observed in graphene modified biocathode (GM-BC). Genus analysis demonstrated that GM-BE was beneficial to enrich electrogens. Typical exoelectrogens were accounted for 13.02% and 8.83% in GM-BA and GM-BC. Morphology showed that both GM-BA and GM-BC formed 3D-like graphene/biofilm architectures and revealed that the biofilm viability and thickness would decrease to some extent when GM-BE was formed. D-GM-BE MFC obtained the maximum power density by 124.58±6.32mWm^-2, which was 2.34 times over C-BE MFC.

Carbon-Based Microbial-Fuel-Cell Electrodes: From Conductive Supports to Active Catalysts

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have attracted considerable interest due to their potential in renewable electrical power generation using the broad diversity of biomass and organic substrates. However, the difficulties in achieving high power densities and commercially affordable electrode materials have limited their industrial applications to date. Carbon materials, which can exhibit a wide range of different morphologies and structures, usually possess physiological activity to interact with microorganisms and are therefore fast-emerging electrode materials. As the anode, carbon materials can significantly promote interfacial microbial colonization and accelerate the formation of extracellular biofilms, which eventually promotes the electrical power density by providing a conductive microenvironment for extracellular electron transfer. As the cathode, carbon-based materials can function as catalysts for the oxygen-reduction reaction, showing satisfying activities and efficiencies nowadays even reaching the performance of Pt catalysts. Here, first, recent advancements on the design of carbon materials for anodes in MFCs are summarized, and the influence of structure and surface functionalization of different types of carbon materials on microorganism immobilization and electrochemical performance is elucidated. Then, synthetic strategies and structures of typical carbon-based cathodes in MFCs are briefly presented. Furthermore, future applications of carbon-electrode-based MFC devices in the energy, environmental, and biological fields are discussed, and the emerging challenges in transferring them from laboratory to industrial scale are described.