Bibliometric analysis of global research trends on microbial fuel cells using Scopus database

The rising demand for sustainable energy and the availability of abundant wastes have stimulated research efforts around the world. As a newly emerging energy-based technology, microbial fuel cell (MFC) has received a significant attention due to its broad range of applications. Therefore, understanding the topics of interest and broadening collaboration networks are necessary to advance the research development towards integrated efforts. In this bibliometric study, our aim was to evaluate the global research trends in MFC area based on publication outputs, co-authorships among authors and affiliated countries, and co-occurrences of author keywords. Using the Scopus database, a total of 4126 journal articles published between 1962-2017 were retrieved. Results have shown that since 2008, the number of publications increased by 100 articles every two years, resulting in the steady increase in the cumulative total publications until present. About 60% of the global total publications were contributed by researchers from China and USA, leading the other 70 countries/territories. Also, among the most productive university from each of the 15 leading countries, four were amongst the world's top 100 universities. In conclusion, recent progress in MFC research includes the following (but not limited to) (i) electrode materials incorporated nanotechnology, ceramic, and biochar; (ii) mathematical modeling (e.g. artificial neural network); and (iii) economic assessment and life cycle analysis. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.