The ins and outs of photo-assisted microbial electrochemical systems for synchronous wastewater treatment and bioenergy recovery

Wastewater, as the used water, carries huge energy that is frequently ignored and unexploited. Microbes , bioelectrocatalysts in microbial electrochemical systems (MESs), can convert chemical stored biodegradable matrixes from wastewater to bioelectricity chemicals. However, due sluggish treatment rates bioenergy production, wider applications have been hampered. Currently, photo-assisted MESs, combined electrochemical/photochemical driving force with catalysis emerged a sustainable platform enhance pollutants degradation recovery aid of solar light, accompanied by reasonable investment minimal environmental disturbance . Nevertheless, development MESs still its infancy. This work broadly concludes present technologies their overall limitations terms performance future advancements will be necessary make them more widely applicable. Herein, crucial factors influencing these such reactor types (bioanode-photocathode, photoanode-biocathode, photomicrobial electrode, photosynthetic bacteria/algae MESs), bandgap semiconductor microbe species are discussed. Furthermore, prominent research accomplishments an emphasis on eliminating contaminants (initial concentration, removal efficiency, rate) recovering (product types, production rate, current density) various wastewaters systematically summarized. Finally, challenges prospects field technology discussed, mainly including optimization electrode materials screening culture microorganisms, scale-up bioreactors intermittency energy, other complications overarchingly shared recovery. Graphical Abstract