Available online 18 January 2023, 108101

Biophotovoltaics (BPV) is a clean power generation technology that uses self-renewing photosynthetic microorganisms to capture solar energy and generate electrical current. Although the internal quantum efficiency of charge separation in photosynthetic microorganisms is very high, the inefficient electron transfer from photosystems to the extracellular electrodes hampered the electrical outputs of BPV systems. This review summarizes the approaches that have been taken to increase the electrical outputs of BPV systems in recent years. These mainly include redirecting intracellular electron transfer, broadening available photosynthetic microorganisms, reinforcing interfacial electron transfer and design high-performance devices with different configurations. Furthermore, three strategies developed to extract photosynthetic electrons were discussed. Among them, the strategy of using synthetic microbial consortia could circumvent the weak exoelectrogenic activity of photosynthetic microorganisms and the cytotoxicity of exogenous mediators, thus show great potential in enhancing the power output and prolonging the lifetime of BPV systems. Lastly, we prospected how to facilitate electron extraction and further improve the performance of BPV systems.

Biophotovoltaics

Extracellular electron transfer

electron extraction strategy

Synthetic microbial consortia

photosynthetic electron transport chains

cytochrome b6f complex

ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase

extracellular electron transfer

2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone

alternative respiratory terminal oxidase

outer membrane cytochrome S

interfacial electron transfer

fluorine doped tin oxide

inverse opal‑indium tin oxide

branched pillars anode

reduced graphene oxide

poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)

standard hydrogen electrode

2,6-dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone

2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone

2,5-dichlorobenzoquinone

scanning tunneling microscopy

atomic force microscopy

external culture medium

CRISPR interference

© 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc.