Conductive Hydrogels and Biofilm in Microbial Fuel Cells: Scientific Mapping and Research Evolution (2010–2024)

Abstract

This study addresses the challenge of low efficiency and limited scalability in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), particularly regarding electron transfer between microorganisms and electrodes. These limitations hinder their potential as sustainable technologies for clean energy generation while treating wastewater. Conductive hydrogels and hybrid polymers are proposed as promising solutions, as they facilitate the formation of electroactive biofilms and enhance electron conductivity. However, research in this field remains fragmented, with limited methodological standardization and comparability across studies. The methodology involved a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications from 2010 to 2024, sourced from the Scopus database. An advanced search strategy was employed using keywords related to hydrogels, MFCs, conductive polymers, and sustainability. The initial corpus was refined to 360 documents, analyzed using Bibliometrix (in RStudio) and VOSviewer. Key indicators assessed included annual production, average citations, leading authors, co-authorship networks, top journals, and contributing institutions. Results reveal exponential growth in publications since 2015, peaking in 2024. The most influential authors were El-Naggar A.M. and Aziz S.B., recognized for both productivity and impact. Journals such as Polymers and ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces host the highest number of publications in the field. China and Saudi Arabia stood out for their publication volume, with institutions like King Saud University noted for high levels of international collaboration. Emerging topics include nanomaterial-doped hydrogels, circular economy strategies, and electro fermentation applications. This analysis provides a strategic overview of how functional materials are driving the advancement of MFCs toward clean, sustainable, and entrepreneurially viable energy solutions.