Hydrogen production from glucose by Citrobacter freundii.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Citrobacter freundii, a member of Enterobacteriaceae, was isolated from sewage.
• Investigating microbial hydrogen production is crucial for sustainable energy.
• Characterizing novel strains for enhanced biohydrogen yield is an active research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize Citrobacter freundii for its hydrogen production potential.
• To determine the optimal conditions for hydrogen and carbon dioxide gas generation.
• To evaluate the efficiency of this strain compared to previously reported Citrobacter species.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and characterization of Citrobacter freundii from sewage.
• Cultivation in a 5L fermentor under batch anaerobic conditions.
• Testing hydrogen production capacity using glucose as a carbon and energy source.

Main Results:

• Total gas production of 8.91 L with a volumetric ratio of 63% H2 and 37% CO2 in 11 hours.
• Production of 1.286 moles of hydrogen per mole of glucose (YH2/s).
• Observed rates of gas production (rQ) and hydrogen production (rH2) were 0.71 L/hr and 0.45 L/hr, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Citrobacter freundii demonstrates significant potential as a microbial producer of hydrogen gas.
• The isolated strain exhibits superior hydrogen production efficiency compared to other reported Citrobacter species.
• This finding supports the use of C. freundii in biotechnological applications for sustainable biohydrogen generation.