An overview of cathode material and catalysts suitable for generating hydrogen in microbial electrolysis cell

► Cathode and cathode catalyst used in microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) reviewed. ► Focus the trend in the advance of novel, efficient and economical cathode material. ► Performance of the different cathode material has been compared. ► Hydrogen production and cathode efficiency and overall energy recovery evaluated. ► Will be helpful to evaluate practical application of the cathodes in real MEC.