Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Fabrication of a Functionalized Magnetic Bacterial Nanocellulose with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Published on: May 26, 2016
A membrane-anchored nanoscale zero-valent iron bio-interface enhances interspecies electron transfer in anaerobic
Mingchao Zhu1, Huilai Zhang2, Lin Zhang3
1Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China; Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration of Xizang, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Xizang Minzu University, Xianyang 712082, China; Information Engineer College, Xizang Minzu University, Xianyang 712082, China.
Abstract:
Suspended nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) can enhance anaerobic digestion, but aggregation, washout, and transient microbial contact limit its long-term function in continuous reactors. This study immobilised nZVI on a polyvinylidene fluoride membrane to develop a membrane-anchored nZVI@Bio-interface for 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) wastewater treatment in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). The modified membrane showed improved conductivity and hydrophilicity, and supported close colonisation of microorganisms on the nZVI layer during operation. Effluent Fe2 + followed a Korsmeyer-Peppas-type release-decay profile after membrane renewal, while the nZVI-AnMBR maintained a lower oxidation-reduction potential than the conventional AnMBR. At 80 mg/L 2-CP, the nZVI-AnMBR achieved 99.3%-99.8% 2-CP removal and 91.5%-94.0% chemical oxygen demand removal, accompanied by higher methane yield and lower volatile fatty acid accumulation. Microbial analysis showed that the nZVI interface mitigated the inhibitory community shift caused by 2-CP and enriched interface-associated families. However, predicted extracellular-electron-transfer markers differed between Fe-active and Fe-aged interface states, suggesting that the enhanced electron-transfer environment was not solely attributable to canonical biological conductive structures. Overall, membrane-anchored nZVI and Fe-associated extracellular polymeric substances acted as key abiotic and matrix-mediated components of electron transfer, providing a practical strategy for converting conductive particles into stable bio-interfaces for anaerobic refractory wastewater treatment.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Microbes and Other Elemental Cycles
Microbial Fuel Cells
Microbial Interactions: Mutualism
Interfacial Electrochemical Methods: Overview
Microbial Corrosion
Microbial Nutrition

