2023 Volume 62 Issue 4 Pages 352-360
Plant Microbial Fuel Cell generation is environment-friendly natural energy using plants. Plants take in CO2 from the air through photosynthesis and produce sugars that help plants grow. Excess saccharides are excreted from the roots and decomposed in the soil by phytobacteria. Electricity is obtained by extracting the electrons generated at this time. This technology is compatible with the natural circulation cycle and does not adversely affect plants. It is possible to obtain energy from rivers, ponds and the sea in addition to the natural environment where plants grow. Conventionally, microbial fuel cells have been used as a technology to obtain electrical energy from soil, but in principle, the power obtained is small. Therefore, the difference in ionization tendency is used to generate voltage between electrodes to significantly improve performance. This technology has been applied to illumination, agricultural sensors, etc., and has been put to practical use.
