[Electrochemically active microorganisms and electrolytically assisted fermentative hydrogen production--a review]

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Electrochemistry
• Biotechnology

Context:

• Fermentative hydrogen production faces limitations like fermentation barriers and product inhibition.
• Electrolytic processes offer a potential solution to overcome these challenges.

Purpose:

• To investigate the use of electrochemically active microorganisms and electrolysis to enhance fermentative hydrogen production.
• To utilize electrodes as electron acceptors for organic matter oxidation.

Summary:

• Volatile acids from fermentation are oxidized at the anode, producing CO2, electrons, and protons.
• Electrons and protons migrate to the cathode, where they combine to form hydrogen.
• This process achieves a high hydrogen yield, with a potential of 8-9 mol H2/mol glucose using glucose as a substrate.

Impact:

• Overcomes traditional fermentation limitations, leading to more efficient hydrogen conversion.
• Enables high-efficiency hydrogen production from diverse organic sources like energy crops, waste, and wastewater.
• Presents a promising technology for sustainable and scalable hydrogen energy generation.