Application of gas diffusion biocathode in microbial electrosynthesis from carbon dioxide

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• 作者：Suman Bajracharya ; Karolien Vanbroekhoven…
• 关键词：Microbial electrosynthesis ; CO2 reduction ; Gas diffusion electrode ; Biocathode ; Autotrophic bioproduction
• 刊名：Environmental Science and Pollution Research
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：November 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：23
• 期：22
• 页码：22292-22308
• 全文大小：1,489 KB
• 刊物类别：Earth and Environmental Science
• 刊物主题：Environment
  Environment
  Atmospheric Protection, Air Quality Control and Air Pollution
  Waste Water Technology, Water Pollution Control, Water Management and Aquatic Pollution
  Industrial Pollution Prevention
  
• 出版者：Springer Berlin / Heidelberg
• ISSN：1614-7499
• 卷排序：23

文摘

Microbial catalysis of carbon dioxide (CO₂) reduction to multi-carbon compounds at the cathode is a highly attractive application of microbial electrosynthesis (MES). The microbes reduce CO₂ by either taking the electrons or reducing the equivalents produced at the cathode. While using gaseous CO₂ as the carbon source, the biological reduction process depends on the dissolution and mass transfer of CO₂ in the electrolyte. In order to deal with this issue, a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) was investigated by feeding CO₂ through the GDE into the MES reactor for its reduction at the biocathode. A combination of the catalyst layer (porous activated carbon and Teflon binder) and the hydrophobic gas diffusion layer (GDL) creates a three-phase interface at the electrode. So, CO₂ and reducing equivalents will be available to the biocatalyst on the cathode surface. An enriched inoculum consisting of acetogenic bacteria, prepared from an anaerobic sludge, was used as a biocatalyst. The cathode potential was maintained at −1.1 V vs Ag/AgCl to facilitate direct and/or hydrogen-mediated CO₂ reduction. Bioelectrochemical CO₂ reduction mainly produced acetate but also extended the products to ethanol and butyrate. Average acetate production rates of 32 and 61 mg/L/day, respectively, with 20 and 80 % CO₂ gas mixture feed were achieved with 10 cm2 of GDE. The maximum acetate production rate remained 238 mg/L/day for 20 % CO₂ gas mixture. In conclusion, a gas diffusion biocathode supported bioelectrochemical CO₂ reduction with enhanced mass transfer rate at continuous supply of gaseous CO₂.