Hydrogen Production by Immobilized Rhodopseudomonas sp. Cells in Calcium Alginate Beads

Eleftherios Touloupakis (), Angeliki Chatziathanasiou, Demetrios F. Ghanotakis, Pietro Carlozzi and Isabella Pecorini
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Eleftherios Touloupakis: Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems, National Research Council, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Angeliki Chatziathanasiou: Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Voutes Campus, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
Demetrios F. Ghanotakis: Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Voutes Campus, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
Pietro Carlozzi: Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems, National Research Council, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Isabella Pecorini: DESTEC—Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering, University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 22, 1-11

Abstract: The present investigation concerns the potentiality of Rhodopseudomonas sp. cells to produce clean energy such as molecular hydrogen (H 2 ). The abovementioned goal could be reached by improving the capability of purple non-sulfur bacteria to produce H 2 via a photofermentative process through the enzyme nitrogenase. Rhodopseudomonas sp. cells were immobilized in calcium alginate gel beads and cultured in a cylindrical photobioreactor at a working volume of 0.22 L. The semi-continuous process, which lasted for 11 days, was interspersed with the washing of the beads with the aim of increasing the H 2 production rate. The maximum H 2 production rate reached 5.25 ± 0.93 mL/h with a total output of 505 mL. The productivity was 40.9 μL (of H 2 )/mg (of cells)/h or 10.2 mL (of H 2 )/L (of culture)/h with a light conversion efficiency of 1.20%.

Keywords: Rhodopseudomonas sp.; photobioreactor; calcium alginate; photofermentation; hydrogen production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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