Abstract
Extracellular electron transfer in microorganisms has been applied for bioelectrochemical synthesis utilizing microbes to catalyze anodic and/or cathodic biochemical reactions. Anodic reactions (electron transfer from microbe to anode) are used for current production and cathodic reactions (electron transfer from cathode to microbe) have recently been applied for current consumption for valuable biochemical production. The extensively studied exoelectrogenic bacteria Shewanella and Geobacter showed that both directions for electron transfer would be possible. It was proposed that gram-positive bacteria, in the absence of cytochrome C, would accept electrons using a cascade of membrane-bound complexes such as membrane-bound Fe-S proteins, oxidoreductase, and periplasmic enzymes. Modification of the cathode with the addition of positive charged species such as chitosan or with an increase of the interfacial area using a porous three-dimensional scaffold electrode led to increased current consumption. The extracellular electron transfer from the cathode to the microbe could catalyze various bioelectrochemical reductions. Electrofermentation used electrons from the cathode as reducing power to produce more reduced compounds such as alcohols than acids, shifting the metabolic pathway. Electrofuel could be generated through artificial photosynthesis using electrical energy instead of solar energy in the process of carbon fixation.
Highlights
An eventual replacement of fossil energy source with sustainable energy system is unavoidable
Electrofuels have been studied for liquid fuels as a means for intermittent electricity storage [1] using the energy of low-potential electrons such as hydrogen gas, reduced metal, or electricity [2]
In the present study we address the question that of whether it is possible to use the same electron transport chain for the opposite direction
Summary
An eventual replacement of fossil energy source with sustainable energy system is unavoidable. A microbial fuel cell uses extracellular electron transfer to an electrode originating from organic compounds consumed by microorganisms. Microbial electrosynthesis uses electron transfer from an electrode to microorganisms producing reduced biochemical compounds.
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