Journal of Materials Science & Technology Cover Design Service (EET)

Journal of Materials Science & Technology

23 July 2023

Electrically conductive nanowires controlled one pivotal route in energy harvest and microbial corrosion via direct metal-microbe electron transfer

Yuting Jin^a,b,1, Jiaqi Li^a,b,1, Toshiyuki Ueki^a,b, Borui Zheng^a, Yongqiang Fan^a,b, Chuntian Yang^a,b, Zhong Li^a,b, Di Wang^a,b,∗, Dake Xu^a,b,∗, Tingyue Gu^c, Fuhui Wang^a

10.1016/j.jmst.2023.06.021

Deleting pilA gene inhibited electron extraction from pure iron and 316L stainless steel up to 31% and 81%, respectively more than deleting the gene for the outer-surface cytochrome OmcS. This PilA-deficient phenotype, and the observation that relatively thick biofilms (21.7 μm) grew on the metal surfaces at multi-cell distances from the metal surfaces suggest that e-pili contributed significantly to microbial corrosion via direct metal-to-microbe electron transfer. These results have implications for the fundamental understanding of electron harvest via e-pili by electroactive microbes, their uses in bioenergy production, as well as in monitoring and mitigation of metal biocorrosion.