Microbial Photoelectrosynthesis for Self-Sustaining Hydrogen Generation
Abstract
Current artificial photosynthesis (APS) systems are promising for the storage of solar energy via transportable and storable fuels, but the anodic half-reaction of water oxidation is an energy intensive process which in many cases poorly couples with the cathodic half-reaction. Here in this paper, we demonstrate a self-sustaining microbial photoelectrosynthesis (MPES) system that pairs microbial electrochemical oxidation with photoelectrochemical water reduction for energy efficient H2 generation. MPES reduces the overall energy requirements thereby greatly expanding the range of semiconductors that can be utilized in APS. Due to the recovery of chemical energy from waste organics by the mild microbial process and utilization of cost-effective and stable catalyst/electrode materials, our MPES system produced a stable current of 0.4 mA/cm2 for 24 h without any external bias and ~10 mA/cm2 with a modest bias under one sun illumination. Finally, this system also showed other merits, such as creating benefits of wastewater treatment and facile preparation and scalability.
- Authors:
-
[1]
- Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Dept. of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering
- San Diego State Univ., San Diego, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). Chemistry and Nanoscience Center
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). Chemistry and Nanoscience Center; National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). Biosciences Center
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1409491
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5900-70538
Journal ID: ISSN 0013-936X
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Environmental Science and Technology
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 51; Journal Issue: 22; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-936X
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 08 HYDROGEN; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; ENERGY STORAGE; SOLAR ENERGY; HYDROGEN GENERATION
Citation Formats
Lu, Lu, Williams, Nicholas B., Turner, John A., Maness, Pin-Ching, Gu, Jing, and Ren, Zhiyong Jason. Microbial Photoelectrosynthesis for Self-Sustaining Hydrogen Generation. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1021/acs.est.7b03644.
Lu, Lu, Williams, Nicholas B., Turner, John A., Maness, Pin-Ching, Gu, Jing, & Ren, Zhiyong Jason. Microbial Photoelectrosynthesis for Self-Sustaining Hydrogen Generation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b03644
Lu, Lu, Williams, Nicholas B., Turner, John A., Maness, Pin-Ching, Gu, Jing, and Ren, Zhiyong Jason. Tue .
"Microbial Photoelectrosynthesis for Self-Sustaining Hydrogen Generation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b03644. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1409491.
@article{osti_1409491,
title = {Microbial Photoelectrosynthesis for Self-Sustaining Hydrogen Generation},
author = {Lu, Lu and Williams, Nicholas B. and Turner, John A. and Maness, Pin-Ching and Gu, Jing and Ren, Zhiyong Jason},
abstractNote = {Current artificial photosynthesis (APS) systems are promising for the storage of solar energy via transportable and storable fuels, but the anodic half-reaction of water oxidation is an energy intensive process which in many cases poorly couples with the cathodic half-reaction. Here in this paper, we demonstrate a self-sustaining microbial photoelectrosynthesis (MPES) system that pairs microbial electrochemical oxidation with photoelectrochemical water reduction for energy efficient H2 generation. MPES reduces the overall energy requirements thereby greatly expanding the range of semiconductors that can be utilized in APS. Due to the recovery of chemical energy from waste organics by the mild microbial process and utilization of cost-effective and stable catalyst/electrode materials, our MPES system produced a stable current of 0.4 mA/cm2 for 24 h without any external bias and ~10 mA/cm2 with a modest bias under one sun illumination. Finally, this system also showed other merits, such as creating benefits of wastewater treatment and facile preparation and scalability.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.7b03644},
journal = {Environmental Science and Technology},
number = 22,
volume = 51,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 17 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Tue Oct 17 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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