Electroactive biofilm-based sensor for volatile fatty acids monitoring: A review

Hao Sun, Ke Xiao*, Zizhou Zeng, Bo Yang, Huabo Duan, Huazhang Zhao*, Yifeng Zhang

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReviewpeer-review

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Abstract

Quantitative analysis of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) is critical for the monitoring, control and optimization of biological processes. However, commonly used detection techniques such as titration and chromatography are too complex, time-consuming or costly, making them not optimal for industrial applications. Biosensors, which can directly convert chemical energy stored in organics into electrical signals, have emerged as an attractive alternative for VFA measurements. They are simple, sensitive and low-cost, and have shown great potential for online monitoring. Among them, the electroactive biofilm (EAB)-based sensor is the most adopted. Based on a summary of the frontiers in EAB sensor development, direct/indirect contact of biofilm with VFA in tests can largely determine their performance. Various applications can illustrate the feasibility of such biosensors for off- or on-line VFA monitoring in different biological processes. These remarkable progresses have been made in recent years, but they are still facing several challenges that need to be addressed for field applications. Microbial analysis of EAB, introduction of machine learning, and optimization of biosensor design and operation will be interesting for future studies. This review can provide guidelines and references for the research, development and application of EAB sensors for online VFA monitoring.
Original languageEnglish
Article number137833
JournalChemical Engineering Journal
Volume449
Number of pages17
ISSN1385-8947
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Keywords

  • Anaerobic digestion
  • Biosensor
  • Electroactive biofilm
  • Microbial electrochemical system
  • Online monitoring
  • Volatile fatty acids

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