Advances and Challenges in Biohydrogen Production by Photosynthetic Microorganisms

Cecilia Faraloni, Giuseppe Torzillo (), Francesco Balestra, Isabela Calegari Moia, Raffaella Margherita Zampieri, Natalia Jiménez-Conejo and Eleftherios Touloupakis
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Cecilia Faraloni: Istituto per la Bioeconomia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Firenze, Italy
Giuseppe Torzillo: Istituto per la Bioeconomia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Firenze, Italy
Francesco Balestra: Istituto per la Bioeconomia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Firenze, Italy
Isabela Calegari Moia: Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Firenze, Italy
Raffaella Margherita Zampieri: Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Firenze, Italy
Natalia Jiménez-Conejo: Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mary Limnología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San Jose 2060, Costa Rica
Eleftherios Touloupakis: Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Firenze, Italy

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-25

Abstract: Hydrogen (H 2 ) production by photosynthetic microorganisms is a viable option for renewable energy due to its sustainability and potential for widespread application. Green algae, cyanobacteria, and purple non-sulfur bacteria have shown great promise in bio-H 2 production. However, problems such as low H 2 production rates and high H 2 production costs continue to hinder the commercial scalability of these systems. To overcome these obstacles, genetic engineering selection of robust strains capable of coping with variable environmental conditions, optimization of growth conditions, use of wastewater, and biotechnological approaches such as immobilization are carefully considered. The aim of this review is to provide a thorough overview of the methods and developments that can improve H 2 production and to highlight current difficulties and future directions for further studies.

Keywords: biohydrogen; microalgae; cyanobacteria; photosynthetic bacteria; photofermentation; photobioreactor; immobilization (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: 2025
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