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Biocatalysis: Electrons travel between the animate and the inanimate

Nature Reviews Chemistry volume 2, Article number: 0145 (2018) Cite this article

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The utility of bioelectrodes also depends on the solid-state component, the surface of which may need to be functionalized in order to encourage microorganisms to densely populate it. Of course, the electrode must also participate in rapid heterogeneous electron transfer with the microorganisms. Penned by Amit Kumar and colleagues, a recent Nature Reviews Chemistry article describes the mechanisms by which microorganism–electrode electron transfers occur. For example, electrons can be shuttled by small molecules or proteins, or instead hop along pili — towers of stacked redox-active proteins that bridge the space between microbes and the electrode. Knowledge of these processes will help us develop a highly active and stable bioelectrochemical system, a goal shared by many interdisciplinary teams across the globe.

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References

  1. Kumar, A. et al. The ins and outs of microorganism–electrode electron transfer reactions. Nat. Rev. Chem. 1, 0024 (2017)

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  1. David Schilter
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Schilter, D. Biocatalysis: Electrons travel between the animate and the inanimate. Nat Rev Chem 2, 0145 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-018-0145

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