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Li P, Zhou X, Yang H, He Y, Kan Y, Zhang Y, Shang Y, Zhang Y, Cao X, Leung MKH. Approaches for Enhancing Wastewater Treatment of Photocatalytic Fuel Cells: A Review. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 17:2139. [PMID: 38730945 PMCID: PMC11085887 DOI: 10.3390/ma17092139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Environmental pollution and energy crises have garnered global attention. The substantial discharge of organic waste into water bodies has led to profound environmental contamination. Photocatalytic fuel cells (PFCs) enabling the simultaneous removal of refractory contaminants and recovery of the chemical energy contained in organic pollutants provides a potential strategy to solve environmental issues and the energy crisis. This review will discuss the fundamentals, working principle, and configuration development of PFCs and photocatalytic microbial fuel cells (PMFCs). We particularly focus on the strategies for improving the wastewater treatment performance of PFCs/PMFCs in terms of coupled advanced oxidation processes, the rational design of high-efficiency electrodes, and the strengthening of the mass transfer process. The significant potential of PFCs/PMFCs in various fields is further discussed in detail. This review is intended to provide some guidance for the better implementation and widespread adoption of PFC wastewater treatment technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penghui Li
- College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China (Y.K.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Xiaohan Zhou
- College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China (Y.K.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Haoyi Yang
- College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China (Y.K.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yun He
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430024, China
| | - Yujiao Kan
- College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China (Y.K.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yang Zhang
- College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China (Y.K.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yanan Shang
- College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China (Y.K.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yizhen Zhang
- College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China (Y.K.); (Y.Z.)
- Institute of Yellow River Delta Earth Surface Processes and Ecological Integrity, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-Environmental Science for Yellow River Delta, Shandong University of Aeronautics, Binzhou 256500, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Cao
- College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China (Y.K.); (Y.Z.)
- Institute of Yellow River Delta Earth Surface Processes and Ecological Integrity, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
| | - Michael K. H. Leung
- Ability R&D Energy Research Centre, School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
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Lam SM, Sin JC, Warren Tong MW, Zeng H, Li H, Huang L, Lin H, Lim JW. Eminent destruction of organics and pathogens concomitant with power generation in a visible light-responsive photocatalytic fuel cell with NiFe 2O 4/ZnO pine tree-like photoanode and CuO/Cu 2O nanorod cathode. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 344:140402. [PMID: 37838031 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Environmental conservation and energy scarcity have become two core challenges with the ever-increasing advancement of industry, particularly chemical energy rich wastewater comprising refractory organics and pathogenic microbes. Here, a multifunctional photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) was devised using NiFe2O4 nanoparticle-loaded on pine tree-like ZnO/Zn (NiFe2O4/ZnO/Zn) photoanode and CuO/Cu2O nanorods-loaded on Cu (CuO/Cu2O/Cu) cathode for extracting electricity upon wastewater treatment. When fed with Rhodamine B (RhB) dyestuff, the NiFe2O4/ZnO/Zn-PFC provided the maximum power density (Pmax) of 0.539 mW cm-2 upon visible light irradiation with an average RhB degradation of 85.2%, which were 2.8 and 2.7 times higher than ZnO/Zn, respectively. The remarkable enhanced NiFe2O4/ZnO/Zn-PFC performance was owing to the synergistic effect of pine tree-like structure and Z-scheme heterostructure. The pine tree-like with high surface area was not only for effective harnessing photon energies but also provided more directional routes for rapid segregation and transport of carriers and higher interface contacting areas with electrolyte. Through a series of systematic characterizations, the Z-scheme heterostructure mechanism of the system and organics degradation pathway were also speculated. Additionally, the performance of the NiFe2O4/ZnO/Zn-PFC in industry printing wastewater showed Pmax of 0.600 mW cm-2, which was considerably impressive as real wastewater was challenging to accomplish. The phytotoxicity outcome also manifested that the comprehensive toxicity of RhB was eradicated after PFC treatment. Lastly, the excellent recyclability and the pronounced bactericidal effect towards Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were other attributions which enabled the NiFe2O4/ZnO/Zn-PFC for possible practical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sze-Mun Lam
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia.
| | - Jin-Chung Sin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Meng Wei Warren Tong
- Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Honghu Zeng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China.
| | - Haixaing Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
| | - Liangliang Huang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
| | - Hua Lin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
| | - Jun-Wei Lim
- HICoE-Centre for Biofuel and Biochemical Research, Institute of Self-Sustainable Building, Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia; Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
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He S, Xie D, Wang B, Zhu M, Hu S. Photocatalytic fuel cell based on integrated silicon nanowire arrays/zinc oxide heterojunction anode for simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity production. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 650:1993-2002. [PMID: 37531666 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.07.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Photocatalytic fuel cells (PFCs) convert organic waste into electricity, thereby providing a potential solution for remediating environmental pollution and solving energy crises. Most PFCs for energy generation applications use powder photocatalysts, which have poor mechanical stability, high internal resistance, and may detach from the substrate during reactions, leading to unstable performance. Integrated photoelectrodes can overcome the drawbacks of powder catalysts. In this study, an integrated photoanode was prepared based on a silicon nanowire arrays/zinc oxide (Si NWs/ZnO) heterojunction by combining metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) and hydrothermal methods. The resulting photoanode was used to assemble a PFC for simultaneous electricity generation and Rhodamine (RhB) dye wastewater degradation. This PFC showed excellent cell performance under irradiation, with a short-circuit current density of 0.183 Am-2, an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.72 V, and a maximum power density of 0.87 W m-2. It could also be used continuously 20 times while degrading > 90% of RhB. This performance was ascribed to the three-dimensional (3D) structure and large surface area of Si NWs, as well as the matched band structure of ZnO, which facilitated the efficient separation and transport of photogenerated carriers in Si NWs/ZnO. The integrated structure also shortened the carrier transport pathways and suppressed carrier recombination. This research provides a foundation for the development of efficient, stable, low-cost, small-scale PFCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenglin He
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Metal-Organic Molecular Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China
| | - Dongxue Xie
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Metal-Organic Molecular Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China; College of Physics Science and Technology, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China
| | - Baoling Wang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Metal-Organic Molecular Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China
| | - Mingshan Zhu
- School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Sujuan Hu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Metal-Organic Molecular Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China.
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Roy S, Darabdhara J, Ahmaruzzaman M. Sustainable degradation of pollutants, generation of electricity and hydrogen evolution via photocatalytic fuel cells: An Inclusive Review. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 236:116702. [PMID: 37490976 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Environmental pollution and energy crisis have recently become one of the major global concerns. Insincere discharge of massive amount of organic and inorganic wastes into the aqueous bodies causes serious impact on our environment. However, these organic substances are significant sources of carbon and energy that could be sustainably utilized rather than being discarded. Photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) is a smart and novel energy conversion device that has the ability to achieve dual benefits: degrading the organic contaminants and simultaneously generating electricity, thereby helping in environmental remediation. This article presents a detailed study of the recent advancements in the development of PFC systems and focuses on the fundamental working principles of PFCs. The degradation of various common organic and inorganic contaminants including dyes and antibiotics with simultaneous power generation and hydrogen evolution has been outlined. The impact of various operational factors on the PFC activity has also been briefly discussed. Moreover, it provides an overview of the design guidelines of the different PFC systems that has been developed recently. It also includes a mention of the materials employed for the construction of the photo electrodes and highlights the major limitations and relevant research scopes that are anticipated to be of interest in the days to come. The review is intended to serve as a handy resource for researchers and budding scientists opting to work in this area of PFC devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saptarshi Roy
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Silchar, 788010, Assam, India
| | | | - Md Ahmaruzzaman
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Silchar, 788010, Assam, India.
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Yap CTJ, Lam SM, Sin JC, Zeng H, Li H, Huang L, Lin H. Treatment of diluted palm oil mill effluent (POME) synchronous with electricity production in a persulfate oxidant-promoted photocatalytic fuel cell. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:96272-96289. [PMID: 37566326 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29165-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Attributable to the prosperous production growth of palm oil in Malaysia, the generated palm oil mill effluent (POME) poses a high threat owing to its highly polluted characteristic. Urged by the escalating concern of environmental conservation, POME pollution abatement and potential energy recovery from the effluent are flagged up as a research topic of interest. In this study, a cutting-edge photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) system with employment of ZnO/Zn nanorod array (NRA) photoanode, CuO/Cu cathode, and persulfate (PS) oxidant was successfully designed to improve the treatment of POME and simultaneous energy production. The photoelectrodes were fabricated and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller analysis (BET). Owing to the properties of strong oxidant of PS, the proposed PFC/PS system has exhibited exceptional performance, attaining chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 96.2%, open circuit voltage (Voc) of 740.0 mV, short circuit current density (Jsc) of 146.7 μA cm-2, and power density (Pmax) of 35.6 μW cm-2. The pre-eminent PFC/PS system performance was yielded under optimal conditions of 2.5 mM of persulfate oxidant, POME dilution factor of 1:20, and natural solution pH of 8.51. Subsequently, the postulated photoelectrocatalytic POME treatment mechanism was elucidated by the radical scavenging study and Mott-Schottky (M-S) analysis. The following recycling test affirmed the stability and durability of the photoanode after four continuous repetition usages while the assessed electrical energy efficiency revealed the economic viability of PFC system serving as a post-treatment for abatement of POME. These findings contributed toward enhancing the sustainability criteria and economic viability of palm oil by adopting sustainable and efficient POME post-treatment technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ting Joyee Yap
- Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Sze-Mun Lam
- Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia.
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China.
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China.
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China.
| | - Jin-Chung Sin
- Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
| | - Honghu Zeng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
| | - Haixiang Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
| | - Liangliang Huang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
| | - Hua Lin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology for Environmental Pollution Control, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
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Thor SH, Ho LN, Ong SA, Abidin CZA, Heah CY, Yap KL. Disclosing the mutual influence of photocatalytic fuel cell and photoelectro-Fenton process in the fabrication of a sustainable hybrid system for efficient Amaranth dye removal and simultaneous electricity production. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:34363-34377. [PMID: 36512276 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24647-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) was employed to provide renewable power sources to photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) process to fabricate a double-chambered hybrid system for the treatment of azo dye, Amaranth. The PFC-PEF hybrid system was interconnected by a circuit attached to the electrodes in PFC and PEF. Circuit connection is the principal channel for the electron transfer and mobility between PFC and PEF. Thus, different circuit connections were evaluated in the hybrid system for their influences on the Amaranth dye degradation. The PFC-PEF system under the complete circuit connection condition attained the highest decolourization efficiency of Amaranth (PFC: 98.85%; PEF: 95.69%), which indicated that the complete circuit connection was crucial for in-situ formation of reactive species in dye degradation. Besides, the pivotal role of ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation in the PFC-PEF system for both dye degradation and electricity generation was revealed through various UV light-illuminating conditions applied for PFC and PEF. A remarkable influence of UV light irradiation on the production of hydrogen peroxide and generation and regeneration of Fe2+ in PEF was demonstrated. This study provided a comprehensive mechanistic insight into the dye degradation and electricity generation by the PFC-PEF system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen-Hui Thor
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis, Malaysia
| | - Li-Ngee Ho
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis, Malaysia.
| | - Soon-An Ong
- Water Research and Environmental Sustainability Growth, Centre of Excellence (WAREG), Faculty of Civil Engineering & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis, Malaysia
| | - Che Zulzikrami Azner Abidin
- Water Research and Environmental Sustainability Growth, Centre of Excellence (WAREG), Faculty of Civil Engineering & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis, Malaysia
| | - Cheng-Yong Heah
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis, Malaysia
| | - Kea-Lee Yap
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis, Malaysia
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Photocatalytic Fuel Cells for Simultaneous Wastewater Treatment and Power Generation: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Future Prospects. ENERGIES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/en15093216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Technological advancement is accompanied by excessive consumption of fossil fuels and affluent uses of chemical substances in many sectors, including transportation and manufacturing companies, and so on. Being an exhaustible resource, the excessive use of fossil fuels and of chemical substances may lead to a serious energy crisis in the long run, and it may additionally impose environmental pollution. Attempts have been made in the solution of such serious issues from every nook and corner. Nonetheless, no method has been found to be a panacea in waste water treatment and subsequent beneficiaries. One of the attempts in the solution to such issues is the application of photocatalytic technology, which could serve as a dual function in environmental remediation and clean energy production. A photocatalytic fuel cell is a tool developed for the recovery of energy from organic wastes. A rational cell construction needs the fabrication of photoelectrodes, the design of a photoanode and a photocathode chamber, in addition to an ion-transport membrane for pollution treatment and electricity generation. In this review, comprehensive fundamental assessments and recent developments in the design of photocatalytic fuel cells, their applications, future prospects, and challenges are covered.
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