Hydrogen‐Mediated Electron Transfer in Hybrid Microbial–Inorganic Systems and Application in Energy and the Environment

The conversion of electrical energy to chemical energy is a promising approach to store and utilize renewable electricity. Hybrid microbial–inorganic systems incorporating abiotic catalysts with biocatalysts have been proved to efficiently achieve this conversion. To couple electrocatalytic reactions with microorganism metabolism, H2 can be an ideal mediator for energy and electron transfer between electrodes and microorganisms. In hydrogen‐mediated hybrid microbial–inorganic systems, H2 is produced at the cathodes with abiotic hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts. H2 then functions as an energy carrier and electron donor for hydrogen‐oxidizing microorganisms. Hybrid microbial–inorganic systems have been prevalently used for energy and environmental applications. Herein, the principle, applications, and current challenges of the hybrid microbial–inorganic systems are summarized.