Bacteria–photocatalyst sheet for sustainable carbon dioxide utilization

Qian Wang; Shafeer Kalathil; Chanon Pornrungroj; Constantin D. Sahm; Erwin Reisner

doi:10.1038/s41929-022-00817-z

Bacteria–photocatalyst sheet for sustainable carbon dioxide utilization

Qian Wang, Shafeer Kalathil, Chanon Pornrungroj, Constantin D. Sahm, Erwin Reisner^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Applied Sciences Department

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Abstract

The clean conversion of carbon dioxide and water to a single multicarbon product and O₂ using sunlight via photocatalysis without the assistance of organic additives or electricity remains an unresolved challenge. Here we report a bio-abiotic hybrid system with the non-photosynthetic, CO₂-fixing acetogenic bacterium Sporomusa ovata grown on a scalable and cost-effective photocatalyst sheet consisting of a pair of particulate semiconductors (La and Rh co-doped SrTiO₃ (SrTiO₃:La,Rh) and Mo-doped BiVO₄ (BiVO₄:Mo)). The biohybrid effectively produces acetate (CH₃COO^–) and oxygen (O₂) using only sunlight, CO₂ and H₂O, achieving a solar-to-acetate conversion efficiency of 0.7% at ambient conditions (298 K, 1 atm). The photocatalyst sheet oxidizes water to O₂ and provides electrons and hydrogen (H₂) to S. ovata for the selective synthesis of CH₃COO^– from CO₂. To demonstrate utility in a closed carbon cycle, the solar-generated acetate was used directly as feedstock in a bioelectrochemical system for electricity generation. These semi-biological approaches thus offer a promising strategy for sustainably and cleanly fixing CO₂ and closing the carbon cycle. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	633-641
Number of pages	9
Journal	Nature Catalysis
Volume	5
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-022-00817-z
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2022

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title = "Bacteria–photocatalyst sheet for sustainable carbon dioxide utilization",

abstract = "The clean conversion of carbon dioxide and water to a single multicarbon product and O2 using sunlight via photocatalysis without the assistance of organic additives or electricity remains an unresolved challenge. Here we report a bio-abiotic hybrid system with the non-photosynthetic, CO2-fixing acetogenic bacterium Sporomusa ovata grown on a scalable and cost-effective photocatalyst sheet consisting of a pair of particulate semiconductors (La and Rh co-doped SrTiO3 (SrTiO3:La,Rh) and Mo-doped BiVO4 (BiVO4:Mo)). The biohybrid effectively produces acetate (CH3COO–) and oxygen (O2) using only sunlight, CO2 and H2O, achieving a solar-to-acetate conversion efficiency of 0.7% at ambient conditions (298 K, 1 atm). The photocatalyst sheet oxidizes water to O2 and provides electrons and hydrogen (H2) to S. ovata for the selective synthesis of CH3COO– from CO2. To demonstrate utility in a closed carbon cycle, the solar-generated acetate was used directly as feedstock in a bioelectrochemical system for electricity generation. These semi-biological approaches thus offer a promising strategy for sustainably and cleanly fixing CO2 and closing the carbon cycle. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]",

author = "Qian Wang and Shafeer Kalathil and Chanon Pornrungroj and Sahm, {Constantin D.} and Erwin Reisner",

note = "Funding Information: We thank M. Rahaman, L. Su and M. Miller (University of Cambridge) for helpful discussions, and H. Greer at the University of Cambridge for assisting in the collection of SEM–EDX element-mapping images. This work was supported by the European Research Council Consolidator Grant {\textquoteleft}MatEnSAP{\textquoteright} (no. 682833 to E.R.), the UK Research and Innovation Cambridge Creative Circular Plastics Centre (grant no. EP/S025308), European Marie Sklodowska-Curie individual Fellowships (nos. GAN 793996 to Q.W. and GAN 744317 to S.K.), Research England{\textquoteright}s Expanding Excellence in England (E3) Fund (to S.K.), the Cambridge Trust (Cambridge Thai Foundation Award to C.P.) and a Trinity-Henry Barlow Scholarship (to C.P.). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",

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AU - Reisner, Erwin

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N2 - The clean conversion of carbon dioxide and water to a single multicarbon product and O2 using sunlight via photocatalysis without the assistance of organic additives or electricity remains an unresolved challenge. Here we report a bio-abiotic hybrid system with the non-photosynthetic, CO2-fixing acetogenic bacterium Sporomusa ovata grown on a scalable and cost-effective photocatalyst sheet consisting of a pair of particulate semiconductors (La and Rh co-doped SrTiO3 (SrTiO3:La,Rh) and Mo-doped BiVO4 (BiVO4:Mo)). The biohybrid effectively produces acetate (CH3COO–) and oxygen (O2) using only sunlight, CO2 and H2O, achieving a solar-to-acetate conversion efficiency of 0.7% at ambient conditions (298 K, 1 atm). The photocatalyst sheet oxidizes water to O2 and provides electrons and hydrogen (H2) to S. ovata for the selective synthesis of CH3COO– from CO2. To demonstrate utility in a closed carbon cycle, the solar-generated acetate was used directly as feedstock in a bioelectrochemical system for electricity generation. These semi-biological approaches thus offer a promising strategy for sustainably and cleanly fixing CO2 and closing the carbon cycle. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

AB - The clean conversion of carbon dioxide and water to a single multicarbon product and O2 using sunlight via photocatalysis without the assistance of organic additives or electricity remains an unresolved challenge. Here we report a bio-abiotic hybrid system with the non-photosynthetic, CO2-fixing acetogenic bacterium Sporomusa ovata grown on a scalable and cost-effective photocatalyst sheet consisting of a pair of particulate semiconductors (La and Rh co-doped SrTiO3 (SrTiO3:La,Rh) and Mo-doped BiVO4 (BiVO4:Mo)). The biohybrid effectively produces acetate (CH3COO–) and oxygen (O2) using only sunlight, CO2 and H2O, achieving a solar-to-acetate conversion efficiency of 0.7% at ambient conditions (298 K, 1 atm). The photocatalyst sheet oxidizes water to O2 and provides electrons and hydrogen (H2) to S. ovata for the selective synthesis of CH3COO– from CO2. To demonstrate utility in a closed carbon cycle, the solar-generated acetate was used directly as feedstock in a bioelectrochemical system for electricity generation. These semi-biological approaches thus offer a promising strategy for sustainably and cleanly fixing CO2 and closing the carbon cycle. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

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Bacteria–photocatalyst sheet for sustainable carbon dioxide utilization

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