Enhanced selectivity to butyrate and caproate above acetate in continuous bioelectrochemical chain elongation from CO2: Steering with CO2 loading rate and hydraulic retention time

Ludovic Jourdin, Marijn Winkelhorst, Brian Rawls, Cees J.N. Buisman, David P.B.T.B. Strik*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

82 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The selective and high-rate microbial electrosynthesis of a valuable molecule is favoured from an economic perspective. We demonstrate here that increasing selectivity towards n-butyrate and n-caproate over acetate, while maintaining high production rate and electron recovery, is achievable by adjusting the CO2 feeding strategy and hydraulic retention time. We show that high CO2 loading rate (173 L d 1) and long hydraulic retention time (14 days) triggers bioelectrochemical chain elongation to n-butyrate and n-caproate (53.6 ± 4.1%C), whereas lower CO2 loading rate (8.6 L d 1) does not, even with increasing HRT (96.4 ± 2.4%C into acetate). Moreover, temporarily detaching and re-attaching the biofilm allowed to obtain high-rate n-caproate production of 2.0 ± 0.1 g L 1 d 1 (max 3.1 g L 1), while producing 3.3 ± 0.2 g L 1 d 1 n-butyrate (max 9.3 g L 1), at an increased 63.6 ± 5.0%C into both. This was achieved with 69.8 ± 2.8% total electron recovery at −100.8 A m 2.

Original languageEnglish
Article number100284
JournalBioresource Technology Reports
Volume7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2019

Keywords

  • Bioelectrochemical chain elongation
  • Caproate
  • Carbon dioxide utilization
  • Microbial electrosynthesis
  • Selectivity

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