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Updated: Sep 10, 2025

Characterizing Mediated Extracellular Electron Transfer in Lactic Acid Bacteria with a Three-Electrode, Two-Chamber Bioelectrochemical System
Published on: August 23, 2024
Extracellular Electron Transfer in Bioelectrochemical System and Its Role in Denitrification: Mechanisms, Enhancement
Zhiwei Jiang1, Minghao Liu2, Yikai Chen3
1College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
Abstract:
Recent studies on bioelectrochemical system (BES) denitrification focus predominantly on removal efficiency and electrode materials, yet a comprehensive understanding of electron transfer mechanisms and process coupling remains lacking. This research critically reviews the key microbial populations, Shewanella and Geobacter, and their dynamic electron transfer pathways. It reveals how electrodes, electron shuttles, and microbial communities establish three-dimensional extracellular electron transfer (EET) networks via cytochromes, nanowires and redox shuttle molecular. This review also evaluates prominent EET enhancement strategies such as the addition of exogenous redox mediators and metal nanoparticles that significantly improve nitrate removal efficiency in laboratory reactors. Additionally, the practical applications of BES in treating nitrogenous wastewater and its integration with other technologies, including groundwater remediation and constructed wetland coupling, are explored. By framing the EET process as a ternary interface of electrodes, mediators, and microbial communities, this review offers a generalized conceptual framework linking EET mechanisms to denitrification performance.
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