Biological and synthetic systems for production of hydrogen from water. Final report 1 Jun 75-31 Mar 80

Technical Report · Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6627256

Krasna, A I

The research study demonstrates the laboratory feasibility of producing hydrogen by biophotolysis of water. One method uses intact hydrogenase-containing algae capable of yielding large quantities of hydrogen in the presence of oxygen-removing agents. Reversible and irreversible oxygen absorbents have been developed to solve the problem of oxygen inhibition. Continuous methods for oxygen removal permit sustained large scale production hydrogen. Another biophotolysis scheme uses isolated plant chloroplasts coupled to hydrogenase or synthetic catalysts, with ferredoxin or methyl viologen as an electron carrier. Light acts on water to produce hydrogen in the presence of oxygen-removing systems. The anerobic reduction of the electron carrier by chloroplasts is the limiting factor in the process. Platinum and palladium catalysts can effectively replace hydrogenase in this coupled system. A number of synthetic systems have been developed to produce hydrogen from organic compounds in the presence of light and various photocatalysts. These methods constitute a non-polluting, alternate technology to produce hydrogen for fuel and as a chemical feedstock for fertilizer production.

• Research Organization: Columbia Univ., New York (USA). Dept. of Biochemistry
• OSTI ID: 6627256
• Report Number(s): PB-80-200942
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
BIOPHOTOLYSIS
CATALYSIS
ADSORPTION
ALGAE
BIOCHEMISTRY
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLOROPLASTS
DECOMPOSITION
ENZYMES
OXYGEN
PALLADIUM
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PLANT CELLS
PLANTS
PLATINUM
PRODUCTION
REMOVAL
WATER
BIOCONVERSION
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHEMISTRY
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
METALS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOLYSIS
PLATINUM METALS
SORPTION
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
080106* - Hydrogen- Production- Biosynthesis & Photochemical Processes
080102 - Hydrogen- Production- Thermochemical Processes