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Limiting reactions in biosolar hydrogen and oxygen production

Conference · · Biotechnol. Bioeng. Symp.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5354419

The first measurements of the steady-state turnover times of simultaneous photosynthetic hydrogen and oxygen production are reported. The system studied is the in vitro system composed of isolated spinach chloroplasts, ferredoxin, and hydrogenase (CFH). The simultaneous photoproduction of hydrogen and oxygen was measured by driving the CFH system into the steady state with repetitive single-turnover flash illumination. The turnover times for both the oxygen and hydrogen photoreactions are ca. 3 ms, which is about twice as fast as the analogous value for anaerobic photosynthesis in intact green algae. The number of apparent functional photosynthetic units for hydrogen and oxygen photoproduction is, however, only a few percent of the Emerson and Arnold value. It is concluded that this is the limiting aspect in the yields of hydrogen and oxygen photoproduction by the CFH system.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
OSTI ID:
5354419
Report Number(s):
CONF-810554-
Journal Information:
Biotechnol. Bioeng. Symp.; (United States), Journal Name: Biotechnol. Bioeng. Symp.; (United States) Vol. 11; ISSN BIBSB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English