Bioelectrochemical systems have been intensively studied as a promising technology for wastewater treatment and environment remediation. Coupling of the anodic and cathodic electrochemical reactions allows an enhanced degradation of recalcitrant organics, but external power supply is usually needed to overcome the thermodynamic barrier. In thiswork, we report a self-driven degradation of azobenzene in a microbial fuel cell (MFC), where the cathodic reduction of azobenzenewas effectively coupled with the anodic oxidation of its reduction degradation intermediate (i.e., aniline). The anodic degradation rate of aniline, as the sole carbon source, was significantly higher than that under open-circuit conditions, suggesting a considerable bioelectrochemical oxidation of aniline. Output voltages up to 8mV were obtained in the MFC. However, a shift of cathodic electron acceptor from oxygen to azobenzene resulted in a decreased aniline degradation rate and output voltage. The present work may provide valuable implications for development of sustainable bioelectrochemical technologies for environmental remediation. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.