Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are a promising technology for biological hydrogen production. Compared to abiotic water electrolysis, a much lower electrical voltage (~ 0.2 V) is required for hydrogen production in MECs. It is also an attractive waste treatment technology as a variety of biodegradable substances can be used as the process feedstock. Underpinning this technology is a recently discovered bioelectrochemical pathway known as “bioelectrohydrogenesis”. However, little is known about the mechanism of this pathway, and numerous hurdles are yet to be addressed to maximize hydrogen yield and purity. Here, we review various aspects including reactor configurations, microorganisms, substrates, electrode materials, and inhibitors of methanogenesis in order to improve hydrogen generation in MECs.

微生物电解池（MEC）是一种用于生物制氢的有前途的技术。与非生物水电解相比，MEC中产生氢气所需的电压要低得多（〜0.2 V）。这也是一种有吸引力的废物处理技术，因为各种可生物降解的物质都可以用作工艺原料。该技术的基础是最近发现的生物电化学途径，称为“生物电水合”。然而，关于该途径的机理知之甚少，并且要解决以最大化氢产量和纯度的许多障碍尚待解决。在这里，我们综述了各个方面，包括反应器配置，微生物，底物，电极材料和甲烷生成抑制剂，以改善MEC中的氢生成。