Efficient Bioenergy Research Articles

Synergy Between Smallholder Palm Oil Replanting Policies and Green Energy Initiatives: A Study of Impacts and Policies in Indonesia

People’s Palm Oil Replanting (PSR) and green energy projects are crucial Indonesian initiatives aimed at achieving economic and environmental sustainability. This study explores the synergies between these programs, analyzing their impacts and interactions within natural resource management and sustainable energy. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through stakeholder interviews, policy document analyses, and field surveys across five major palm oil-producing districts in Indonesia. The findings show that integrating PSR and green energy initiatives can enhance land productivity, reduce carbon emissions, and improve peatland management. PSR projects, focused on rejuvenating aging oil palm plantations and adopting environmentally friendly technologies, support more efficient bioenergy production. Simultaneously, green energy initiatives promote renewable energy use and incentivize sustainable practices. However, challenges such as limited collaboration, budget constraints, and farmer resistance persist. To address these, this study proposes a policy framework including financial support, technical training for farmers, and improved stakeholder communication. By examining the intersection of agricultural and energy policies, this research highlights strategies to achieve sustainability goals and provides actionable insights for policymakers to design integrated, effective approaches that maximize the benefits of these initiatives

Upcycling of nutrients from kitchen waste: Integration of anaerobic digestion system and microbial protein production system

To upcycle the nutrients from kitchen waste (KW), an integrated system consisting of anaerobic digestion (AD) reactor and microbial protein (MP) production reactor was established in this study. The subsystem I (AD system) demonstrated an efficient bio-energy production (282.37 mL CH4/g VS), with 553.54 mg/L of NH4+-N remained in the digestate. The subsystem II (MP production system) utilized the nitrogenous constituents of the digestate, with 2.04 g/L MP production. In order to further enhance the recovery efficiency, C/N ratio in the subsystem II was studied. NH4+-N recovery efficiency was 23.08% higher after C/N ratio optimization along with 0.24 g/L increment on MP production. Over 0.7 g/L of essential amino acids was obtained, according with the qualitative necessary for the feeds. Also, the key enzyme abundance of CO2 releasing and amino acid biosynthesis was obviously increased with max. 55.21%. Meanwhile, the integrated system was profitable via a simplified economic assessment.

Methane Production from Sugarcane Vinasse Biodigestion: An Efficient Bioenergy and Environmental Solution for the State of São Paulo, Brazil

This study mapped the bioenergy production from sugarcane vinasse according to the mesoregions of the State of São Paulo (SP), Brazil, assessing the magnitude of biogas-derived electricity and biomethane production and estimating the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. SP holds 45% of the Brazilian ethanol-producing plants, in which 1.4 million m3 of carbon-rich vinasse are generated daily. The electricity generated from vinasse has the potential to fully supply the residential consumption (ca. 6.5 million inhabitants) in the main sugarcane-producing mesoregions of the state (Ribeirão Preto, São José do Rio Preto, Bauru, Araçatuba and Presidente Prudente). In another approach, biomethane could displace almost 3.5 billion liters of diesel, which represents a 26% abatement in the annual state diesel consumption. Energetically exploiting biogas is mandatory to prevent GHG-related drawbacks, as the eventual emission of methane produced under controlled conditions (261.2 × 106 kg-CO2eq d−1) is ca. 7-fold higher than the total emissions estimated for the entire ethanol production chain. Meanwhile, replacing diesel with biomethane can avoid the emission of 45.4 × 106 kg-CO2eq d−1. Implementing an efficient model of energy recovery from vinasse in SP has great potential to serve as a basis for expanding the utilization of this wastewater in Brazil.

Electromagnetic Field Drives the Bioelectrocatalysis of γ-Fe2O3-Coated Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 to Boost Extracellular Electron Transfer.

The microbial hybrid system modified by magnetic nanomaterials can enhance the interfacial electron transfer and energy conversion under the stimulation of a magnetic field. However, the bioelectrocatalytic performance of a hybrid system still needs to be improved, and the mechanism of magnetic field-induced bioelectrocatalytic enhancements is still unclear. In this work, γ-Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles were coated on a Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 cell surface and followed by placing in an electromagnetic field. The results showed that the electromagnetic field can greatly boost the extracellular electron transfer, and the oxidation peak current of CN32@γ-Fe2O3 increased to 2.24 times under an electromagnetic field. The enhancement mechanism is mainly due to the fact that the surface modified microorganism provides an elevated contact area for the high microbial catalytic activity of the outer cell membrane's cytochrome, while the magnetic nanoparticles provide a networked interface between the cytoplasm and the outer membrane for boosting the fast multidimensional electron transport path in the magnetic field. This work sheds fresh scientific light on the rational design of magnetic-field-coupled electroactive microorganisms and the fundamentals of an optimal interfacial structure for a fast electron transfer process toward an efficient bioenergy conversion.

Biomass for power and energy generation

Biomass is a scientific term for living matter, more specifically any organic matter that has been derived from plants as a result of the photosynthetic conversion process. The word biomass is also used to denote the products derived from living organisms – wood from trees, harvested grasses, plant parts, and residues such as stems and leaves, as well as aquatic plants. The solid biomass processing facility may also generate process heat and electric power. As more efficient bioenergy technologies are developed, fossil fuel inputs will be reduced; biomass and its by-products can also be used as sources for fuelling many energy needs. The energy value of biomass from plant matter originally comes from solar energy through the process known as photosynthesis. In nature, all biomass ultimately decomposes to its elementary molecules with the release of heat. During conversion processes such as combustion, biomass releases its energy, often in the form of heat, and the carbon is re-oxidised to carbon dioxide to replace that which was absorbed while the plant was growing. Essentially the use of biomass for energy is the reversal of photosynthesis.

An immobilized mixed microflora approach to enhancing hydrogen and methane productions from high-strength organic loading food waste hydrolysate in series batch reactors

The immobilized cells technology was used for enhancing the two stages batch bioreactors in series from high-strength food waste hydrolysate. Carrageenan and gelatin were used as support materials to create immobilized cells to improve microorganisms’ stability, activity, and productivity. It was found a promising advantages of a higher hydrogen and methane production rates, better stability, and resistance to shock loads to reduce the cost of producing biogaseous fuels from food waste. It was found that optimal biohydrogen production based on the working volume was 1.00 L H2/L which using 80 g COD/L of food waste hydrolysate and 20% of immobilized cells, and peak of methane production of 11.72 L CH4/L which using 120 g COD/L and 30% of immobilized cells. The yield of hydrogen and methane were 21.33 mL H2/g VS and 373.83 mL CH4/g VS respectively. TS, VS, and COD removal efficiency were 91.24, 90.64, and 86.35%, respectively. This study can support an efficient bioenergy production system development from a sustainable valuable feedstock such as a high-strength organic food waste.

Efficient methane production from anaerobic co-digestion of poultry litter with wheat straw in sequencing batch reactor: Effects of carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, total solids, and hydraulic retention time

This study performed co-digestion of poultry litter (PL) with wheat straw in the daily anaerobic sequencing batch reactor considering operation parameters of carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N, 11.6 to 28.4), total solids (TS, 2.6 to 9.4%), and hydraulic retention time (HRT, 7.6 to 24.4d). The inoculum with a diverse microbial community structure included 2% of methanogens (Methanosaeta) was chosen. Experimental performance by central composite design showed continuous methane production with the highest biogas production rate (BPR) obtained at C/N = 20, TS = 6%, and HRT = 7.6d, being (1.18 ± 0.14 L/LR/d). A significant modified quadratic model (p < 0.0001) for predicting BPR was built (R2 = 0.9724). The operation parameters and process stability both affected the release of nitrogen, phosphorus, and magnesium in the effluent. The results provided new support for the novel reactor operations for efficient bioenergy production from PL and agricultural wastes.

Indexing energy and cost of the pretreatment for economically efficient bioenergy generation

The growing necessity for energy worldwide has led to the hunt for an interminable solution in the form of sustainable energy generation. To accomplish sustainability, these problems can be resolved using renewable waste biomass, which is readily accessible and low priced. Moreover, the ecological issue due to the disposal of this waste biomass into the environment is also counteracted by the use of this biomass for energy generation along with the substantial solid reduction for disposal. The presence of complex biopolymers in biomass, which hasten the hydrolysis step during energy generation, was enhanced by the application of a pretreatment method. The efficiency of the pretreatment methods was enhanced by maintaining the cost and energy usage since the commercialization of this method is largely limited. The major economic drivers are based on solid concentration and, thus, lead to higher capital costs. This study reveals the wide assortment of current progression in pretreatment techniques for treating waste biomass with special focus on combined and phase-separated pretreatment. Additionally, it converses the advantages and limitations of pretreatment methods. This pivotal investigation brings about the cost- and energy-effective conversion solution that paves the way for a sustainable energy system.

Evaluation of global gridded crop models in simulating sugarcane yield in China

Sugarcane provides around 80% of the world's sugar production and is also one of the most efficient bioenergy crops. China is the third largest sugarcane-producing country in the world, and skillful simulation of the sugarcane yield in China is thus vital for global production and the trade of sugar and ethanol. Global Gridded Crop Models (GGCMs) are commonly used to predict global and regional crop yield as well as to assess the impacts of climate, environment, and agronomic management changes and feedbacks of crop growth. So far, two GGCMs (CLM5-crop and LPJmL) have been able to model sugarcane, but their performance in China remains unknown. In this study, the authors comprehensively evaluated the sugarcane yield simulations of these two models for the period 1980–2009 using the crop yield statistics collected from the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Results showed that these two models substantially underestimate the multi-year average sugarcane yield, with simulated yields less than one quarter of observations. In addition, CLM5-crop successfully simulates the spatial pattern, while LPJmL does not. In terms of temporal variability, the two models can reproduce the significant upward trend for the national average and in most provinces, but underestimate the magnitude. They also fail to simulate the pattern of interannual variability. The two models underestimate the sugarcane yield partly because they incorrectly set the sugarcane yield coming from the grain as other grain crops, which is inconsistent with the fact that the stem is harvested.摘要中国是全球第三大甘蔗生产国, 中国甘蔗产量模拟可服务于全球食糖和乙醇的生产和贸易. 全球格点作物模式CLM5-crop和LPJmL已实现对甘蔗的模拟, 但它们在中国的模拟能力未知. 本文评估结果表明: 两个模式均严重低估了甘蔗产量, 模拟均不足观测的1/4. CLM5-crop能有技巧地模拟产量的空间分布特征, 而LPJmL不能. 两个模式均不能合理模拟产量的年际变化, 且低估了产量的上升趋势. 模式低估甘蔗产量的部分原因是模式假设收割的是甘蔗的穗而非茎.

Solving the bottlenecks of sugarcane vinasse biodigestion: Impacts of temperature and substrate exchange on sulfate removal during dark fermentation

Removing sulfate prior to methanogenesis and maintaining year-round operation of the plant are the two main bottlenecks to be solved prior to implementing highly efficient bioenergy recovery from sugarcane vinasse via anaerobic digestion. Sulfidogenesis establishment and optimization during vinasse fermentation at two temperature levels (30 °C and 55 °C) were assessed using continuous fixed-film reactors. Simulating the off season through replacing vinasse by molasses was also assessed. Performance results and the distribution of microbial communities were correlated in all operating conditions. Sulfidogenesis was not efficiently established at 30 °C, because sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) did not grow favorably during vinasse natural fermentation. Acetate accumulation (∼3 g L−1) resulting from homoacetogenic activity (most likely by Lachnospirales) was observed in this condition. Conversely, sulfate removal (driven by Desulfohalotomaculum and Desulfotomaculum at much lower abundances compared to fermenters, such as Clostridia) was successfully established (84–97 %) under varied hydraulic retention times (18, 12 and 6 h) at 55 °C. Replacing vinasse by molasses negatively impacted SRB due to a sharp drop in pH (<6.0) triggered by lactate accumulation (up to 16.8 g L−1) mainly by Bacillus. However, SRB were resilient to such severe acidic and thermophilic conditions, and sulfate removal was maximized once vinasse was re-introduced. These results strategically represent the best operating strategy for the compositional conditioning of sugarcane vinasse prior to methanogenesis, because the high temperature in which vinasse is released from distillation columns (85–90 °C) facilitates the implementation of thermophilic reactors by eliminating any energy demands related to system heating.

Effect of tetracycline on bio-electrochemically assisted anaerobic methanogenic systems: Process performance, microbial community structure, and functional genes.

Bio-electrochemically assisted anaerobic methanogenic systems (An-BES) are highly effective in wastewater treatment for methane production and degradation of toxic compounds. However, information on the treatment of antibiotic-bearing wastewater in An-BES is still very limited. This study therefore investigated the effect of tetracycline (TC) on the performance, microbial community, as well as functional and antibiotic resistance genes of An-BES. TC at 1 and 5 mg/L inhibited methane production by less than 4.8% compared to the TC-free control. At 10 mg/L TC, application of 0.5 and 1.0 V decreased methane production by 14 and 9.6%, respectively. Under the effect of 1-10 mg/L TC, application of 1.0 V resulted in a decrease of current from 42.3 to 2.8 mA. TC was mainly removed by adsorption; its removal extent increased by 19.5 and 32.9% with application of 0.5 and 1.0 V, respectively. At 1.0 V, current output was not recovered with the addition of granular activated carbon, which completely removed TC by adsorption. Metagenomic analysis showed that propionate oxidizing bacteria and methanogens were more abundant in electrode biofilms than in suspended culture. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were less abundant in biofilms than in suspended culture, regardless of whether voltage was applied or not. Application of 1.0 V resulted in the enrichment of Geobacter in the anode and Methanobacterium in the cathode. TC inhibited exoelectrogens, propionate oxidizing bacteria, and the methylmalonyl CoA pathway, leading to a decrease of current output, COD consumption, and methane production. These findings deepen our understanding of the inhibitory effect of TC in An-BES towards efficient bioenergy recovery from antibiotic-bearing wastewater, as well as the response of functional microorganisms to TC in such systems.

Landfill leachate and municipal wastewater co-treatment in microbial fuel cell integrated unsaturated and partially saturated tidal flow constructed wetlands

This study co-treated landfill leachate and municipal wastewater employing unsaturated, partially saturated microbial fuel cell integrated tidal flow constructed wetlands. The wetland systems were packed with organic or waste materials and planted with Phragmites australis. Leachate and municipal wastewater were mixed in different volumetric proportions (40%: 60%; 20%: 80%; 10%: 90%) for co-treatment under variable wastewater retention periods (i.e., 6 and 24 h). Mean biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, ammonium nitrogen, total nitrogen, phosphorus removal percentage ranged between −35 and 76%, −22 and 76%, 10 and 90%, −0.2 and 71%, 38 and 92%, respectively. The combination of higher influent pollutants load (due to higher leachate volumetric proportion in the mixed wastewater) and longer retention time developed a predominant anoxic/anaerobic environment inside the media of the unsaturated, partially saturated microbial fuel cell integrated tidal flow wetlands. Such environmental conditions diminished organic and nutrient removal by hampering electrochemically active, other removal pathways, particularly in partially saturated wetlands. Leachate volumetric proportion reduction adjusted the influent's pollutant loads, carbon and other chemical composition, increased aerobic gradient inside the media bed, and improved pollutants removal of the unsaturated, partially saturated systems. A longer wastewater retention period supplemented operational performance. Mean voltage production across the microbial fuel cell integrated tidal flow constructed wetlands ranged between 4 and 152 mV; maximum power density production ranged between 50 and 527 mW/m3. Physicochemical properties (voids, roughness, carbon composition) of the media influenced power density production. Waste rubber tire material-based partially saturated wetland was the most efficient bioenergy producing system.

Effects of green bonds on bioenergy development under climate change: A case study in Taiwan province, China

Bioenergy development improves energy security and mitigates climate change. Because the stable supply of agricultural resources provides a solid basis for efficient bioenergy production, the climate-induced impacts such as changes in temperature and precipitation that potentially alter the farming decisions and cropping patterns should be taken into account. This study designs two-stage stochastic programming with recourse model to investigate the net bioenergy production and emission reduction, as well as the bioenergy producers’ strategies under various market operations and climate scenarios. The results show that the net production of biopower and biofuel are relatively stable because the supply of bioenergy feedstocks could remain at a constant level, but the farming decisions, cropping pattern, and resource utilization are likely to be altered by climate-induced impacts. The results also indicate that for efficient bioenergy production, approximately 41.5 billion TWD (9.65 billion CNY) and 33.6 billion TWD (7.81 billion CNY) of bond principal should be invested in crop-based and residual-based technology, respectively. In the face of strict environmental regulations and emission management, biopower technology becomes more competitive, and under such a circumstance, more than 98.3% of the low-cost bond should be invested in biopower development to achieve development efficiency.

Identification of sustainable filtration mode of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment towards low-fouling operation and efficient bioenergy production

The application of anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) process for low-carbon and sustainable municipal wastewater (MWW) treatment is still hindered by membrane fouling and dissolved methane issues, while optimizing operational mode for efficient fouling mitigation and modelling the liquid-gaseous phase equilibrium of multicomponent biogas are still not well understood. To address this gap, a 20-L submerged AnMBR was operated for the treatment of real MWW over a 200 d operation period, divided into three phases according to the variations of operational flux (5, 8 and 11 L/m2h) and intermittent filtration mode (filtration to relaxation time (F/R) ratios of 3:1, 4:1, 5:1 and 9:1). The AnMBR showed a stable COD removal (∼85%), satisfactory methane production (∼0.07 LCH4/L-wastewater), and a high methane content of 80% regardless of filtration mode. A theoretical model was successfully developed to simulate the liquid-gaseous phase equilibrium of the multicomponent biogas, which can quantitatively predict the origin and phase distribution of biogas with high accuracy and also determine the saturation index of dissolved methane in the range of 0.8–1.1. At low-flux conditions (5 and 8 LMH), the transmembrane pressure (TMP) remained at low values of 0.5–1.0 kPa, and was not affected by changed F/R ratios. However, at the higher flux of 11 LMH, the TMP increase was obvious at F/R ratios of 3:1 and 9:1, and larger than that at F/R ratios of 4:1 and 5:1. A higher instantaneous flux and shorter relaxation time resulted in substantial irreversible fouling caused by a high-flux induced drag force and insufficient detachment of foulants, while periodical in-situ chemical cleaning allowed a sustainable operation with irreversible fouling successfully mitigated. The results recommended optimized filtration mode for cost-effective fouling control and highlighted the importance of dissolved methane management, which are expected to support large-scale AnMBR implementations for mainstream MWW treatment towards low fouling operation and efficient bioenergy recovery.

The performance of a cyanobacterial biomass-based microbial fuel cell (MFC) inoculated with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Cyanobacterial biomass is a rich renewable resource for direct bioelectricity generation in biomass-based microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this study, the performance of a double chamber MFC with Anabaena vaginicola cyanobacterial biomass as the anodic substrate was investigated. The anode chamber was inoculated with a pure culture of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, and different MFC experiments using pretreated and untreated cyanobacterial biomass substrate with 5 or 20 mg/L riboflavin were conducted. Pretreatment of the biomass and addition of 20 mg/L riboflavin led to the highest current density (366 mA/m3), maximum power density (144 mW/m3), chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency (65%), and coulombic efficiency (5.7%). Increasing the concentration of riboflavin improved bioelectricity generation (1.4–1.7-fold increase in maximum power density), confirming its effectiveness as a redox mediator, and its role in the extracellular electron transfer process of the S. oneidensis MR-1 biofilm. Moreover, pretreating the biomass also enhanced the conversion efficiency of biomass to bioelectricity. This indicated that pretreatment of the biomass influenced the utilization of biomass by S. oneidensis MR-1 cells. These findings can help increasing the potential of using renewable substrates for more efficient bioenergy generation in pure culture MFCs.

Microbial application of thermophilic Thermoanaerobacterium species in lignocellulosic biorefinery.

Recently, thermophilic Thermoanaerobacterium species have attracted increasing attentions in consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), which can directly utilize lignocellulosic materials for biofuels production. Compared to the mesophilic process, thermophilic process shows greater prospects in CBP due to its relatively highly efficiency of lignocellulose degradation. In addition, thermophilic conditions can avoid microbial contamination, reduce the cooling costs, and further facilitate the downstream product recovery. However, only few reviews specifically focused on the microbial applications of thermophilic Thermoanaerobacterium species in lignocellulosic biorefinery. Accordingly, this review will comprehensively summarize the recent advances of Thermoanaerobacterium species in lignocellulosic biorefinery, including their secreted xylanases and bioenergy production. Furthermore, the co-culture can significantly reduce the metabolic burden and achieve the more complex work, which will be discussed as the further perspectives. KEY POINTS: • Thermoanaerobacterium species, promising chassis for lignocellulosic biorefinery. • Potential capability of hemicellulose degradation for Thermoanaerobacterium species. • Efficient bioenergy production by Thermoanaerobacterium species through metabolic engineering.

Enhancing short-term ethanol-type fermentation of waste activated sludge by adding saccharomycetes and the implications for bioenergy and resource recovery

Ethanol-type sludge fermentation has recently attracted much attention because it can enhance direct interspecies electron transfer and thus improve the anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS). In this paper, the enhancement of short-term ethanol-type fermentation of WAS via adding Saccharomyces was investigated. The experimental results show that the maximum ethanol production of 1030.8 ± 20.6 mg/L was achieved, with the optimum fermentation conditions of a pH of 5.1, temperature of 26.0 ℃ and time of 8.0 hr. Although the content of volatile fatty acid (VFA) increased within 10 hr, it is one order of magnitude lower than the content of ethanol, indicating that the VFA generation did not affect the efficient production of ethanol. The analyses of changes in the microbial community during the fermentation process demonstrate that the greatest Saccharomyces activity occurred in the first 8 hr and it can play an important role in ethanol production even at a very low relative abundance. Meanwhile, most typical acid-producing bacteria were inhibited, but the hydrogenotrophic methanogens (i.e., Methanobacterium) were enriched to a certain extent. Further statistical analyses reveal that the Rhodobacter, Thermomonas, Terrimonas and Saccharomyces are responsible for ethanol production during the fermentation. However, these findings not only provide a reference for the development of enhancing ethanol-type fermentation of sludge, but also are expected to provide a new way of thinking for the efficient bioenergy and resource recovery from sludge.

Biofuel production from sugarcane molasses in thermophilic anaerobic structured-bed reactors

This work presents an alternative bioenergy-related management approach for sugarcane molasses through the application of anaerobic digestion (AD) in a two-stage continuous thermophilic (55 °C) system to produce biohydrogen (bioH2) and methane. The performance of the acidogenic stage (RH2) was assessed by maintaining a continuous and high organic loading rate (OLR; 120 kg COD m−3 d−1), whilst the robustness of the methanogenic stage (RCH4) was investigated based on the increase of the OLR (1.0–25.2 kg COD m−3 d−1). Molecular analyses and an energetic assessment were also conducted, to provide a holistic understanding of the two-stage AD system. Long-term bioH2 production was achieved at low pH values (~4.0) in RH2 by the co-fermentation of lactate and acetate, and a positive correlation between Clostridium and Leuconostoc genera was identified. Efficient methane production (323–350 NmL CH4 g−1COD) was only observed at low OLR (1.0–2.3 kg COD m−3 d−1) in RCH4, although high COD removal levels (>70%) were observed at all operational conditions. Metabolite and molecular analyses indicated inefficient syntrophic and acetoclastic activities (accumulation of acetate, propionate and lactate), indicating that hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis was the prevailing methane-producing pathway in RCH4, specifically by the Methanothermobacter genus. Finally, the energetic potential (8560 kJ kg−1CODapplied) of molasses outperformed the ones of vinasse by at least 25%, indicating that the high availability of biodegradable organic matter in molasses requires a low OLR to offer efficient bioenergy recovery levels.

Boric Acid-Fueled ATP Synthesis by Fo F1 ATP Synthase Reconstituted in a Supramolecular Architecture.

Significant strides toward producing biochemical fuels have been achieved by mimicking natural oxidative and photosynthetic phosphorylation. Here, different from these strategies, we explore boric acid as a fuel for tuneable synthesis of energy-storing molecules in a cell-like supramolecular architecture. Specifically, a proton locked in boric acid is released in a modulated fashion by the choice of polyols. As a consequence, controlled proton gradients across the lipid membrane are established to drive ATP synthase embedded in the biomimetic architecture, which facilitates tuneable ATP production. This strategy paves a unique route to achieve highly efficient bioenergy conversion, holding broad applications in synthesis and devices that require biochemical fuels.

Boric Acid‐Fueled ATP Synthesis by FoF1ATP Synthase Reconstituted in a Supramolecular Architecture

AbstractSignificant strides toward producing biochemical fuels have been achieved by mimicking natural oxidative and photosynthetic phosphorylation. Here, different from these strategies, we explore boric acid as a fuel for tuneable synthesis of energy‐storing molecules in a cell‐like supramolecular architecture. Specifically, a proton locked in boric acid is released in a modulated fashion by the choice of polyols. As a consequence, controlled proton gradients across the lipid membrane are established to drive ATP synthase embedded in the biomimetic architecture, which facilitates tuneable ATP production. This strategy paves a unique route to achieve highly efficient bioenergy conversion, holding broad applications in synthesis and devices that require biochemical fuels.