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Pelagalli V, Matassa S, Race M, Langone M, Papirio S, Lens PNL, Lazzazzara M, Frugis A, Petta L, Esposito G. Syngas-driven sewage sludge conversion to microbial protein through H 2S- and CO-tolerant hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 248:120698. [PMID: 38016256 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Treating excess municipal sewage sludge (MSS) by means of thermochemical processes could enable its conversion into high-value microbial protein (MP) through syngas. Nevertheless, the variable composition and content of inhibitory compounds of the latter hinders the application potential of such a biorefinery scheme. Through a series of short- (48 to 96 h) and long-term (30 days) batch aerobic bioconversion tests, the present study aimed at investigating the potential of a mixed culture of hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria (HOB) to produce MP from a simulated syngas mixture characterized by variable H2 and CO2 concentrations, and different levels of CO and H2S as potential inhibitors of the HOB-driven process. Syngas was converted into MP with a protein content as high as 74 %, reaching biomass yields of 0.25 g VSS/g H2-COD, close to the maximum reported HOB yield of 0.28 g VSS/g H2-COD, and volumetric productivities of 16 mg VSS/L/h. The potential of the process to provide between 50 and 100 % of the total nitrogen requirement of HOB solely by means of the gaseous ammonia nitrogen recovered through syngas was also preliminarily calculated. The presence of H2S and CO concentrations up to 0.4 % and up to 40 %, respectively, and a wide range of H2/CO2 ratios (2 - 10) had no negative influence on the main process performances. The role played by H2S- and CO-tolerant HOB species was fundamental to guarantee a high tolerance to microbial inhibitors, and demonstrated the high potential of mixed cultures for resource recovery and valorisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Pelagalli
- Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Via Di Biasio 43, Cassino 03043, Italy.
| | - Silvio Matassa
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Claudio 21, Napoli 80125, Italy
| | - Marco Race
- Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Via Di Biasio 43, Cassino 03043, Italy
| | - Michela Langone
- Laboratory Technologies for the Efficient Use and Management of Water and Wastewater, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese, 301, Rome 00123, Italy
| | - Stefano Papirio
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Claudio 21, Napoli 80125, Italy
| | - Piet N L Lens
- National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | | | | | - Luigi Petta
- Laboratory Technologies for the Efficient Use and Management of Water and Wastewater, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Martiri di Monte Sole, 4, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | - Giovanni Esposito
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Claudio 21, Napoli 80125, Italy
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Meena R, Bitter JH, Zuilhof H, Li G. Toward the Rational Design of More Efficient Mo 2C Catalysts for Hydrodeoxygenation-Mechanism and Descriptor Identification. ACS Catal 2023; 13:13446-13455. [PMID: 37881787 PMCID: PMC10594588 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.3c03728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Viable alternatives to scarce and expensive noble-metal-based catalysts are transition-metal carbides such as Mo and W carbides. It has been shown that these are active and selective catalysts in the hydrodeoxygenation of renewable lipid-based feedstocks. However, the reaction mechanism and the structure-activity relationship of these transition-metal carbides have not yet been fully clarified. In this work, the reaction mechanism of butyric acid hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) over molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) has been studied comprehensively by means of density functional theory coupled with microkinetic modeling. We identified the rate-determining step to be butanol dissociation: C4H9*OH + * → C4H9* + *OH. Then we further explored the possibility to facilitate this step upon heteroatom doping and found that Zr- and Nb-doped Mo2C are the most promising catalysts with enhanced HDO catalytic activity. Linear-scaling relationships were established between the electronic and geometrical descriptors of the dopants and the catalytic performance of various doped Mo2C catalysts. It was demonstrated that descriptors such as dopants' d-band filling and atomic radius play key roles in governing the catalytic activity. This fundamental understanding delivers practical strategies for the rational design of Mo2C-based transition-metal carbide catalysts with improved HDO performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghavendra Meena
- Biobased
Chemistry and Technology, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Laboratory
of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes Hendrik Bitter
- Biobased
Chemistry and Technology, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Han Zuilhof
- Laboratory
of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
- School
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300072, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Guanna Li
- Biobased
Chemistry and Technology, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Laboratory
of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Hafeez S, Al-Salem SM, Bansode A, Villa A, Dimitratos N, Manos G, Constantinou A. Computational Investigation of Microreactor Configurations for Hydrogen Production from Formic Acid Decomposition Using a Pd/C Catalyst. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c04128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sanaa Hafeez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WCIE 7JE, UK
| | - Sultan M. Al-Salem
- Environment & Life Sciences Research Centre, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box: 24885, Safat 13109, Kuwait
| | - Atul Bansode
- Catalysis Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Alberto Villa
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Universitá degli Studi di Milano, via Golgi, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Nikolaos Dimitratos
- Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale e dei Materiali, ALMA MATER STUDIORUM Università di Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - George Manos
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WCIE 7JE, UK
| | - Achilleas Constantinou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, 57 Corner of Athinon and Anexartisias, 3036 Limassol, Cyprus
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Agrawal K, Roldan A, Kishore N, Logsdail AJ. Hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol over orthorhombic molybdenum carbide: a DFT and microkinetic study. Catal Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d1cy01273h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol is modelled over a (100) β-Mo2C surface using density functional theory and microkinetic simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kushagra Agrawal
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
- Cardiff Catalysis Institute, School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, Wales, UK
| | - Alberto Roldan
- Cardiff Catalysis Institute, School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, Wales, UK
| | - Nanda Kishore
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
| | - Andrew J. Logsdail
- Cardiff Catalysis Institute, School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, Wales, UK
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