Title: Electro-autotrophic synthesis of higher alcohols

Abstract

The disclosure provides a process that converts CO.sub.2 to higher alcohols (e.g. isobutanol) using electricity as the energy source. This process stores electricity (e.g. from solar energy, nuclear energy, and the like) in liquid fuels that can be used as high octane number gasoline substitutes. Instead of deriving reducing power from photosynthesis, this process derives reducing power from electrically generated mediators, either H.sub.2 or formate. H.sub.2 can be derived from electrolysis of water. Formate can be generated by electrochemical reduction of CO.sub.2. After delivering the reducing power in the cell, formate becomes CO.sub.2 and recycles back. Therefore, the biological CO.sub.2 fixation process can occur in the dark.

Inventors:

Liao, James C.; Cho, Kwang Myung

Issue Date:

2016-11-01

Research Org.:

Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1330696

Patent Number(s):

9481898

Application Number:

14/875,655

Assignee:

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (Oakland, CA

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12N - MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12P - FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {

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C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12N - MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES

C12N9/0006 - {acting on CH-OH groups as donors
C12N9/88 - Lyases

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12P - FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {

C12P7/04 - acyclic
C12P7/16 - Butanols
C12P7/22 - aromatic

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12Y - ENZYMES

C12Y101/01001 - Alcohol dehydrogenase
C12Y401/01072 - Branched-chain-2-oxoacid decarboxylase

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

Y02E50/10 - Biofuels

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02P - CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

Y02P20/133 - Renewable energy sources
Y02P20/52 - using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts
Y02P20/59 - Biological synthesis

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DOE Contract Number:  

AR0000085

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 2015 Oct 05

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 09 BIOMASS FUELS