Areas of Specialization

• Sustainable bioenergy production
• Environmental biotechnology
• Waste and wastewater treatment
• Microbial fuel cell technology
• Biohydrogen production

Current Research

• Electricity generation using Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC):  Using MFC to directly convert organic matter to electricity represents a completely new method of renewable energy recovery. Our studies focus on optimizing MFC to improve the power generation from various waste biomass.

• Hydrogen production using BioElectrochemically Assisted Microbial Reactors (BEAMR): Excluding oxidants from MFC system, hydrogen can be produced at cathode by adding an electrochemical potential to the system. This overcomes the fermentation barrier since any biodegradable organic matter can theoretically be used and completely degraded in this process. We are currently conducting research on the system characterization and optimization to increase the hydrogen production rate and total energy recovery.

Recent Publications (ISI ReseacherID)

 

• Liu, H., Hu, H., Chignell J., Fan, Y. (2010) Microbial Electrolysis: Novel Technology for Hydrogen Production from Biomass. Biofuels , in press.

• Hu, H., Fan, Y., Liu, H. (2009)  Hydrogen production in single-chamber tubular microbial electrolysis cells using non-precious-metal catalysts. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 34 (20), 8535-8542.

• Catal, T., Bermek, H., Liu, H. (2009) Removal of selenite from wastewater using microbial fuel cells. Biotechnology letters, 31 (8):1211-1216.

• Fan, Y., Sharbrough, E., Liu, H. (2008) Quantification of the Internal Resistance Distribution of Microbial Fuel Cells Environmental Science and Technology 42 (21): 8101–8107.

• Catal, T., Xu, S., Li, K., Bermek, H., Liu, H. (2008) Electricity generation from polyalcohols in single-chamber microbial fuel cells Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 24, 855-860.  
• Sukkasem, C., Xu, S., Park, S., Boonsawang, P., Liu, H. (2008) Effect of nitrate on the performance of single chamber air cathode microbial fuel cells. Water Research, 42(19):4743-4750.
• Hu, H., Fan, Y., Liu H. (2008) Hydrogen Production Using Single-chamber Membrane-free Microbial Electrolysis Cells Water Research, 42(15):4172-4178.
• Fan, Y., Hu, H., Liu, H.   Response to Comment on “ Sustainable Power Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Bicarbonate Buffer and Proton Transfer Mechanisms". (2008) Environmental Science and Technology, 42, 6306

• Catal, T., Fan, Y., Li, K., Bermek, H., Liu, H. Effects of furan derivatives and phenolic compounds on electricity generation in microbial fuel cells. (2008) Journal of Power Sources, 180, 162-166.

• Liu, H., Cheng; S., Huang, L., Logan, B.E. (2008) Scale-up of Membrane-free Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells. Journal of Power sources, 179, 274–279.

• Catal, T., Li,K., Bermek H., Liu, H. (2008) Electricity Production from Twelve Monosaccharides Using Microbial Fuel Cells. Journal of Power Sources,  175, 196-200.

• You,S.,  Zhao,Q.,Zhang, J., Liu, H., Jiang, J., Zhao, S.(2008)  Increased Sustainable Electricity Generation in Upflow Air-cathode Microbial Fuel Cells.  Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 23(7):1157-60.

• Catal, T., Liu, H. , Bermek H. (2008) Selenium Induces Manganese-dependent Peroxidase Production by the White-Rot Fungus Bjerkandera adusta (Willdenow) P. Karsten. Biol Trace Elem Res 123:211–217.

• Ditzig, J., Liu, H., Logan, B.E.  Production of hydrogen from domestic wastewater using a bioelectrochemically assisted microbial reactor (BEAMR). (2007) International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 32 (13) 2296-2304. 

• Fan, Y., Hu, H., Liu, H. Sustainable Power Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Bicarbonate Buffer and Proton Transfer Mechanisms. (2007)  Environmental Science and Technology, 41(23)8154-8158.

• Fan, Y., Hu, H., Liu, H. (2007)  Enhanced Coulombic efficiency and power density of air-cathode microbial fuel cells with an improved cell configuration. Journal of Power Sources, 171 (2)348-354.