Engineered, Solid-State Processes for Enhanced Biosolar Hydrogen Production Enabling the Development of Biocomposite Materials

CBET-0829199ElyBiosollah(H2)生产是一种很有前途的可持续能源替代品。主要的原料阳光和水分布广泛，储量丰富，可生产的氢气数量远远超过当前和预计的能源需求。蓝藻的捕光能力提供了潜在的效率，与从初级生产中生产乙醇和生物柴油等碳质生物燃料相比，效率非常高。与传统的生物反应器相比，包裹蓝藻以形成生物复合材料的固态基质可以提供一些显著的设计和操作优势，同时还可以降低操作和设备成本。生物复合材料工程是一个非常新的快速发展的领域，但在它的潜力能够充分发挥到这个或其他类似的项目之前，需要更好地了解固体基质和被包裹的细胞之间的相互作用。以聚球藻PCC 6803为模型，该项目的最终目标将是发展与生物复合材料设计和建造相关的基础知识，同时利用硅溶胶-凝胶中细胞包裹的几个优点，并实现单位质量包裹细胞的最大氢气产量。本研究的目标是：(1)确定最佳凝胶组成和固定化方法，以获得预期的细胞活力、寿命和代谢活性；(2)确定和描述溶胶凝胶与被包裹细胞之间的分子水平相互作用；(3)表征被包裹的培养物的光合作用活性和产氢能力，以优化产氢所需的凝胶几何结构和光学性质。该项目向开发可持续满足能源需求的可持续生物热解制氢系统迈出了关键一步。从研究中获得的知识和应用可以帮助开发仿生模型，以创建基于生物的发电机，从水和光中生产分子氢，这将对社会所有部门产生巨大影响。由于水将取代化石燃料作为原料，化石燃料的使用、接触和与健康相关的影响都将下降。这样的发电机可以整合到集成的氢气能源系统中，在一个单元中提供氢气的生产、储存和利用。最后，我们将为培养具有多学科知识和技能的研究生、本科生和高中生提供独特的机会。

CBET-0829199ElyBiosolar hydrogen (H2) production is a promising sustainable energy alternative. The major feedstocks, sunlight and water, are widely distributed and abundant, and amounts of H2 that could be produced far exceed current and projected energy demand. The light harvesting capabilities of cyanobacteria offer potential efficiencies that are tremendously high compared to production of carbonaceous biofuels, like ethanol and biodiesel, from primary production. A solid-state matrix that encapsulates cyanobacteria to create a biocomposite material may offer some significant design and operational advantages over conventional bioreactors while also reducing operation and equipment costs. Biocomposite material engineering is a very new and rapidly growing field, but before its potential can be fully realized for this or other, similar projects, an improved understanding of interactions between the solid matrix and encapsulated cells is needed. Using Synechocystis PCC 6803 as a model, the ultimate goal of this project will be to develop fundamental knowledge pertaining to design and construction of biocomposites while exploiting several advantages of cell encapsulation in silica sol-gel and achieving maximal H2 production per unit mass of encapsulated cells. The objectives of this research are to (1) determine the optimal gel composition and immobilization approach for desired viability, longevity, and metabolic activity of encapsulated cells; (2) determine and describe molecular-level interactions between the sol-gel and the encapsulated cells; and (3) characterize photosynthetic activity and H2 production from the encapsulated cultures to optimize gel geometry and optical properties for H2 production. This project provides a critical step toward developing sustainable biophotolytic H2 production systems that can sustainably meet energy demands. Knowledge derived and applications resulting from the research could help to develop biomimetic models to create biobased generators to produce molecular H2 from water and light, which would have enormous impacts on all sectors of society. Since water would replace fossil fuels as the feedstock, fossil fuel use, exposures and health-related effects would all decline. Such generators could be incorporated into integrated H2 energy systems, providing generation, storage, and utilization of H2 in one unit. Finally, we will provide a unique opportunity for training graduate, undergraduate and high-school students with multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills.