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Tee JY, Ng FL, Keng FSL, Lee CW, Zhang B, Lin S, Gnana kumar G, Phang SM. Green synthesis of reduced graphene oxide by using tropical microalgae and its application in biophotovoltaic devices. iScience 2024; 27:109564. [PMID: 38617563 PMCID: PMC11015452 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The successful commercialization of algal biophotovoltaics (BPV) technology hinges upon a multifaceted approach, encompassing factors such as the development of a cost-efficient and highly conductive anode material. To address this issue, we developed an environmentally benign method of producing reduced graphene oxide (rGO), using concentrated Chlorella sp. UMACC 313 suspensions as the reducing agent. The produced rGO was subsequently coated on the carbon paper (rGO-CP) and used as the BPV device's anode. As a result, maximum power density was increased by 950% for Chlorella sp. UMACC 258 (0.210 mW m-2) and 781% for Synechococcus sp. UMACC 371 (0.555 mW m-2) compared to bare CP. The improved microalgae adhesion to the anode and improved electrical conductivity of rGO brought on by the effective removal of oxygen functional groups may be the causes of this. This study has demonstrated how microalgal-reduced GO may improve the efficiency of algal BPV for producing bioelectricity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Ye Tee
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Fong-Lee Ng
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- School of Biosciences, Taylor’s University, Lakeside Campus, Subang Jaya 47500, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Fiona Seh-Lin Keng
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Choon-Weng Lee
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Bingqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Shiwei Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - G. Gnana kumar
- Department of Physical Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Siew-Moi Phang
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Jalan Puncak Menara Gading, Taman Connaught, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
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Mishra A, Chhabra M. Co-culturing Chlorella vulgaris and Cystobasidium oligophagum JRC1 in the microbial fuel cell cathode for lipid biosynthesis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-29232-y. [PMID: 37610543 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29232-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of co-culturing the photobiont and mycobiont in the microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathode on biomass production, lipid generation, and power output. Chlorella vulgaris provides oxygen and nutrients for the yeast Cystobasidium oligophagum JRC1, while the latter offers CO2 and quench oxygen for higher algal growth. The MFC with co-culture enhanced the lipid output of biomass by 28.33%, and the total yield and productivity were 1.47 ± 0.18 g/l and 0.123 g/l/day, respectively. Moreover, with co-culture, the open circuit voltage of 685 ± 11 mV was two times higher than algae alone. The specific growth rate (day-1) at the cathode was 0.367 ± 0.04 in co-culture and 0.288 ± 0.05 with C. vulgaris only. The power density of the system was 5.37 ± 0.21 mW/m2 with 75.88 ± 1.89% of COD removal. The co-culture thus proved beneficial at the MFC cathode in terms of total energy output as 11.5 ± 0.035 kWh/m3, which was 1.4-fold higher than algae alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Mishra
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur (IITJ), Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 342037, India
| | - Meenu Chhabra
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur (IITJ), Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 342037, India.
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Xie Y, Khoo KS, Chew KW, Devadas VV, Phang SJ, Lim HR, Rajendran S, Show PL. Advancement of renewable energy technologies via artificial and microalgae photosynthesis. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 363:127830. [PMID: 36029982 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There has been an urgent need to tackle global climate change and replace conventional fuels with alternatives from sustainable sources. This has led to the emergence of bioenergy sources like biofuels and biohydrogen extracted from microalgae biomass. Microalgae takes up carbon dioxide and absorbs sunlight, as part of its photosynthesis process, for growth and producing useful compounds for renewable energy. While, the developments in artificial photosynthesis to a chemical process that biomimics the natural photosynthesis process to fix CO2 in the air. However, the artificial photosynthesis technology is still being investigated for its implementation in large scale production. Microalgae photosynthesis can provide the same advantages as artificial photosynthesis, along with the prospect of having final microalgae products suitable for various application. There are significant potential to adapt either microalgae photosynthesis or artificial photosynthesis to reduce the CO2 in the climate and contribute to a cleaner and green cultivation method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youping Xie
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Kuan Shiong Khoo
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Kit Wayne Chew
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, Jalan Sunsuria, Bandar Sunsuria, 43900 Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Vishno Vardhan Devadas
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Sue Jiun Phang
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, Jalan Venna P5/2, Precinct 5, 62200 Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Hooi Ren Lim
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Saravanan Rajendran
- Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tarapacá, Avda. General Velasquez, 1775 Arica, Chile
| | - Pau Loke Show
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Subtropical Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; Department of Sustainable Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai 602105, India.
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Pankan AO, Yunus K, Sachyani E, Elouarzaki K, Magdassi S, Zeng M, Fisher AC. A multi-walled carbon nanotubes coated 3D printed anode developed for Biophotovotaic applications. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2020.114397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Zhang JZ, Reisner E. Advancing photosystem II photoelectrochemistry for semi-artificial photosynthesis. Nat Rev Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1038/s41570-019-0149-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Nagendranatha Reddy C, Nguyen HTH, Noori MT, Min B. Potential applications of algae in the cathode of microbial fuel cells for enhanced electricity generation with simultaneous nutrient removal and algae biorefinery: Current status and future perspectives. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 292:122010. [PMID: 31473037 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Production of biofuels and other value-added products from wastewater along with quality treatment is an uttermost necessity to achieve environmental sustainability and promote bio-circular economy. Algae-Microbial fuel cell (A-MFC) with algae in cathode chamber offers several advantages e.g. photosynthetic oxygenation for electricity recovery, CO2-fixation, wastewater treatment, etc. However, performance of A-MFC depends on several operational parameters and also on electrode materials types; therefore, enormous collective efforts have been made by researchers for finding optimal conditions in order to enhance A-MFC performance. The present review is a comprehensive snapshot of the recent advances in A-MFCs, dealing two major parts: 1) the power generation, which exclusively outlines the effect of different parameters and development of cutting edge cathode materials and 2) wastewater treatment at cathode of A-MFC. This review provides fundamental knowledge, critical constraints, current status and some insights for making A-MFC technology a reality at commercial scale operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Nagendranatha Reddy
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-daero Giheung-gu, Yongin-si Gyeonggi-do 17104, Republic of Korea; Department of Biotechnology, Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology (Autonomous), Gandipet-500075, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India; Bhuma Shobha Nagireddy Memorial College of Engineering & Technology (BSNRMCET) Kandukuri Metta, Allagadda 518543, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Hai T H Nguyen
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-daero Giheung-gu, Yongin-si Gyeonggi-do 17104, Republic of Korea
| | - Md T Noori
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-daero Giheung-gu, Yongin-si Gyeonggi-do 17104, Republic of Korea
| | - Booki Min
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-daero Giheung-gu, Yongin-si Gyeonggi-do 17104, Republic of Korea.
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Wey LT, Bombelli P, Chen X, Lawrence JM, Rabideau CM, Rowden SJL, Zhang JZ, Howe CJ. The Development of Biophotovoltaic Systems for Power Generation and Biological Analysis. ChemElectroChem 2019; 6:5375-5386. [PMID: 31867153 PMCID: PMC6899825 DOI: 10.1002/celc.201900997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Biophotovoltaic systems (BPVs) resemble microbial fuel cells, but utilise oxygenic photosynthetic microorganisms associated with an anode to generate an extracellular electrical current, which is stimulated by illumination. Study and exploitation of BPVs have come a long way over the last few decades, having benefited from several generations of electrode development and improvements in wiring schemes. Power densities of up to 0.5 W m-2 and the powering of small electrical devices such as a digital clock have been reported. Improvements in standardisation have meant that this biophotoelectrochemical phenomenon can be further exploited to address biological questions relating to the organisms. Here, we aim to provide both biologists and electrochemists with a review of the progress of BPV development with a focus on biological materials, electrode design and interfacial wiring considerations, and propose steps for driving the field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura T. Wey
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
| | - Paolo Bombelli
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche AmbientaliUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
| | - Xiaolong Chen
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB1 2EWUK
| | - Joshua M. Lawrence
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
| | - Clayton M. Rabideau
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
- Department of Chemical Engineering and BiotechnologyUniversity of Cambridge Philippa Fawcett DrCambridgeCB3 0ASUK
| | - Stephen J. L. Rowden
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
| | - Jenny Z. Zhang
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB1 2EWUK
| | - Christopher J. Howe
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
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Luo S, Berges JA, He Z, Young EB. Algal-microbial community collaboration for energy recovery and nutrient remediation from wastewater in integrated photobioelectrochemical systems. ALGAL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2016.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Schuergers N, Werlang C, Ajo-Franklin CM, Boghossian AA. A Synthetic Biology Approach to Engineering Living Photovoltaics. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2017; 10:1102-1115. [PMID: 28694844 PMCID: PMC5501249 DOI: 10.1039/c7ee00282c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to electronically interface living cells with electron accepting scaffolds is crucial for the development of next-generation biophotovoltaic technologies. Although recent studies have focused on engineering synthetic interfaces that can maximize electronic communication between the cell and scaffold, the efficiency of such devices is limited by the low conductivity of the cell membrane. This review provides a materials science perspective on applying a complementary, synthetic biology approach to engineering membrane-electrode interfaces. It focuses on the technical challenges behind the introduction of foreign extracellular electron transfer pathways in bacterial host cells and the past and future efforts to engineer photosynthetic organisms with artificial electron-export capabilities for biophotovoltaic applications. The article highlights advances in engineering protein-based, electron-exporting conduits in a model host organism, E. coli, before reviewing state-of-the-art biophotovoltaic technologies that use both unmodified and bioengineered photosynthetic bacteria with improved electron transport capabilities. A thermodynamic analysis is used to propose an energetically feasible pathway for extracellular electron transport in engineered cyanobacteria and identify metabolic bottlenecks amenable to protein engineering techniques. Based on this analysis, an engineered photosynthetic organism expressing a foreign, protein-based electron conduit yields a maximum theoretical solar conversion efficiency of 6-10% without accounting for additional bioengineering optimizations for light-harvesting.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Schuergers
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - C. Werlang
- Interschool Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - C. M. Ajo-Franklin
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Synthetic Biology Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - A. A. Boghossian
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Photosynthetic Microbial Fuel Cells. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 158:159-175. [PMID: 28070595 DOI: 10.1007/10_2016_48] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
This chapter presents the current state of research on bioelectrochemical systems that include phototrophic organisms. First, we describe what is known of how phototrophs transfer electrons from internal metabolism to external substrates. This includes efforts to understand both the source of electrons and transfer pathways within cells. Second, we consider technological progress toward producing bio-photovoltaic devices with phototrophs. Efforts to improve these devices by changing the species included, the electrode surfaces, and chemical mediators are described. Finally, we consider future directions for this research field.
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Schneider K, Thorne RJ, Cameron PJ. An investigation of anode and cathode materials in photomicrobial fuel cells. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2016; 374:rsta.2015.0080. [PMID: 26755764 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2015.0080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Photomicrobial fuel cells (p-MFCs) are devices that use photosynthetic organisms (such as cyanobacteria or algae) to turn light energy into electrical energy. In a p-MFC, the anode accepts electrons from microorganisms that are either growing directly on the anode surface (biofilm) or are free floating in solution (planktonic). The nature of both the anode and cathode material is critical for device efficiency. An ideal anode is biocompatible and facilitates direct electron transfer from the microorganisms, with no need for an electron mediator. For a p-MFC, there is the additional requirement that the anode should not prevent light from perfusing through the photosynthetic cells. The cathode should facilitate the rapid reaction of protons and oxygen to form water so as not to rate limit the device. In this paper, we first review the range of anode and cathode materials currently used in p-MFCs. We then present our own data comparing cathode materials in a p-MFC and our first results using porous ceramic anodes in a mediator-free p-MFC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca J Thorne
- Department of Environmental Impacts and Economics (IMPEC), Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), PO Box 100, 2027 Kjeller, Norway
| | - Petra J Cameron
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
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