Bioelectrosynthetic Conversion of CO 2 Using Different Redox Mediators: Electron and Carbon Balances in a Bioelectrochemical System

Shuwei Li, Young Eun Song, Jiyun Baek, Hyeon Sung Im, Mutyala Sakuntala, Minsoo Kim, Chulhwan Park, Booki Min and Jung Rae Kim
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Shuwei Li: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
Young Eun Song: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
Jiyun Baek: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
Hyeon Sung Im: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
Mutyala Sakuntala: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
Minsoo Kim: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
Chulhwan Park: Department of Chemical Engineering, Kwangwoon University, 20 Kwangwoon-Ro, Nowon-Gu, Seoul 01897, Korea
Booki Min: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1 Seocheon-dong, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-701, Korea
Jung Rae Kim: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) systems can convert CO 2 to acetate and other value-added chemicals using electricity as the reducing power. Several electrochemically active redox mediators can enhance interfacial electron transport between bacteria and the electrode in MES systems. In this study, different redox mediators, such as neutral red (NR), 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (HNQ), and hydroquinone (HQ), were compared to facilitate an MES-based CO 2 reduction reaction on the cathode. The mediators, NR and HNQ, improved acetate production from CO 2 (165 mM and 161 mM, respectively) compared to the control (without a mediator = 149 mM), whereas HQ showed lower acetate production (115 mM). On the other hand, when mediators were used, the electron and carbon recovery efficiency decreased because of the presence of bioelectrochemical reduction pathways other than acetate production. Cyclic voltammetry of an MES with such mediators revealed CO 2 reduction to acetate on the cathode surface. These results suggest that the addition of mediators to MES can improve CO 2 conversion to acetate with further optimization in an operating strategy of electrosynthesis processes.

Keywords: carbon dioxide; microbial electrosynthesis (MES); redox mediator; carbon and electron balance (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: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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