Technologies for conversion of microbial energy have recently attracted interest to transform waste into bioenergy, thus addressing simultaneously environmental and energy issues. Nonetheless, actual microbial systems for energy conversion have limitations such as low rate of mass transfer, uneven energy distribution and strong inhibition of products and by-products. These technical bottlenecks can be alleviated by using membranes, which regulate the transfer of mass, heat and energy. Here we review applications of membranes for microbial energy conversion. We discuss mechanisms, functions and development of membranes for feedstock preparation, bioenergy production and bioproduct post-treatment. We present key membrane factors that control the efficiency of microbial fuel cells. We address membrane biofouling problems and anti-fouling approaches, in order to improve future commercialization.

微生物能量转换技术最近引起了人们的兴趣，他们希望将废物转化为生物能，从而同时解决环境和能源问题。但是，实际的能量转化微生物系统具有局限性，例如传质速率低，能量分布不均以及对产物和副产物的抑制作用强。通过使用调节质量，热量和能量传递的薄膜可以缓解这些技术瓶颈。在这里，我们回顾了膜在微生物能量转化中的应用。我们讨论了用于原料制备，生物能源生产和生物产品后处理的膜的机理，功能和开发。我们提出了控制微生物燃料电池效率的关键膜因子。我们致力于解决膜生物污染问题和防污方法，