Microbial electrosynthesis of acetate from CO2 in three-chamber cells with gas diffusion biocathode under moderate saline conditions
dc.contributor.author
dc.date.accessioned
2023-06-16T09:35:20Z
dc.date.available
2023-06-16T09:35:20Z
dc.date.issued
2023-10
dc.identifier.uri
dc.description.abstract
The industrial adoption of microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is hindered by high overpotentials deriving from low electrolyte conductivity and inefficient cell designs. In this study, a mixed microbial consortium originating from an anaerobic digester operated under saline conditions (∼13 g L−1 NaCl) was adapted for acetate production from bicarbonate in galvanostatic (0.25 mA cm−2) H-type cells at 5, 10, 15, or 20 g L−1 NaCl concentration. The acetogenic communities were successfully enriched only at 5 and 10 g L−1 NaCl, revealing an inhibitory threshold of about 6 g L−1 Na+. The enriched planktonic communities were then used as inoculum for 3D printed, three-chamber cells equipped with a gas diffusion biocathode. The cells were fed with CO2 gas and operated galvanostatically (0.25 or 1.00 mA cm−2). The highest production rate of 55.4 g m−2 d−1 (0.89 g L−1 d−1), with 82.4% Coulombic efficiency, was obtained at 5 g L−1 NaCl concentration and 1 mA cm−2 applied current, achieving an average acetate production of 44.7 kg MWh−1. Scanning electron microscopy and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis confirmed the formation of a cathodic biofilm dominated by Acetobacterium sp. Finally, three 3D printed cells were hydraulically connected in series to simulate an MES stack, achieving three-fold production rates than with the single cell at 0.25 mA cm−2. This confirms that three-chamber MES cells are an efficient and scalable technology for CO2 bio-electro recycling to acetate and that moderate saline conditions (5 g L−1 NaCl) can help reduce their power demand while preserving the activity of acetogens
dc.description.sponsorship
This work was performed on the framework of the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Pathfinder Award on “Hybrid Bio-Solar Reactors for wastewater treatment and CO2 recycling” (award nr. 19/FIP/ZE/7572 PF). PD is supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement, project ATMESPHERE, No 101029266. SP is a Serra Hunter Fellow (UdG-AG-575) and acknowledges the funding from the ICREA Academia award. LEQUIA has been recognised as a consolidated research group by the Catalan Government (2021-SGR-01352). UZI is supported by EPSRC (EP/P029329/1 and EP/V030515/1). VOF is supported by the Enterprise Ireland Technology Centres Programme (TC/2014/0016) and Science Foundation Ireland (14/IA/2371, 19/FFP/6746 and 16/RC/3889). DP acknowledges the support of the VIVALDI project that has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement 101000441
dc.format.mimetype
application/pdf
dc.language.iso
eng
dc.publisher
Elsevier
dc.relation.isformatof
Reproducció digital del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2023.100261
dc.relation.ispartof
Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, 2023, vol. 16, art.núm. 100261
dc.relation.ispartofseries
Articles publicats (D-EQATA)
dc.rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
dc.rights.uri
dc.subject
dc.title
Microbial electrosynthesis of acetate from CO2 in three-chamber cells with gas diffusion biocathode under moderate saline conditions
dc.type
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.rights.accessRights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.relation.projectID
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/101029266/EU/Advanced Technology for Microbial Electro-Synthesis of Platform cHemicals and Efficient in-situ Recovery via Electrodialysis/ATMESPHERE
dc.type.version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.identifier.doi
dc.identifier.idgrec
036772
dc.contributor.funder
dc.type.peerreviewed
peer-reviewed
dc.relation.FundingProgramme
dc.relation.ProjectAcronym
dc.identifier.eissn
2666-4984