Global InformationElectromethanogenesis information
Electromethanogenesis is a form of electrofuel production where methane is produced by direct biological conversion of electrical current and carbon dioxide.[1][2][3][4]
Methane producing technologies garnered interest from the scientific community prior to 2000, but electromethanogenesis did not become a significant area of interest until 2008. Publications concerning catalytic methanation have increased from 44 to over 130 since 2008.[4] Electromethanogenesis has drawn more research due to its proposed applications. The production of methane from electrical current may provide an approach to renewable energy storage.[1][4] Electrical current produced from renewable energy sources may, through electromethanogenesis, be converted into methane which may then be used as a biofuel.[1][4] It may also be a useful method for the capture of carbon dioxide which may be used for air purification.[1]
In nature, methane formation occurs biotically and abiotically.[1][5][6] Abiogenic methane is produced on a smaller scale and the required chemical reactions do not necessitate organic materials.[4] Biogenic methane is produced in anaerobic natural environments where methane forms as the result of the breakdown of organic materials by microbes—or microorganisms.[4][7] Researchers have found that the biogenic methane production process can be replicated in a laboratory environment through electromethanogenesis.[4][7] The reduction of CO2 in electromethanogenesis is facilitated by an electrical current at a biocathode in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) and with the help of microbes and electrons (Equation 1) or abiotically produced hydrogen (Equation 2).[1][4][6][7]
(1) CO2 + 8H+ + 8e− ↔ CH4 + 2H2O
(2) CO2 + 4H2 ↔ CH4 + 2H2O
- ^ a b c d e f Cheng, Shaoan; Xing, Defeng; Call, Douglas F.; Logan, Bruce E. (2009-05-15). "Direct Biological Conversion of Electrical Current into Methane by Electromethanogenesis". Environmental Science & Technology. 43 (10): 3953–3958. Bibcode:2009EnST...43.3953C. doi:10.1021/es803531g. ISSN 0013-936X. PMID 19544913.
- ^ Tuomas Kangasniemi (2009-04-07). "Aurinkosähkön varastoinnin ongelmat ohi: bakteeri syö sähköä, tekee metaania". Tekniikka & Talous (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ^ "Researchers Show Direct Bacterial Production of Methane from Electricity and CO2". Green Car Congress. 30 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Blasco-Gómez, Ramiro; Batlle-Vilanova, Pau; Villano, Marianna; Balaguer, Maria Dolors; Colprim, Jesús; Puig, Sebastià (2017-04-20). "On the Edge of Research and Technological Application: A Critical Review of Electromethanogenesis". International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 18 (4): 874. doi:10.3390/ijms18040874. ISSN 1422-0067. PMC 5412455. PMID 28425974.
- ^ Batlle-Vilanova, Pau; Puig, Sebastià; Gonzalez-Olmos, Rafael; Vilajeliu-Pons, Anna; Bañeras, Lluís; Balaguer, M. Dolors; Colprim, Jesús (2014-01-16). "Assessment of biotic and abiotic graphite cathodes for hydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cells". International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 39 (3): 1297–1305. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.11.017. ISSN 0360-3199.
- ^ a b Geppert, Florian; Liu, Dandan; van Eerten-Jansen, Mieke; Weidner, Eckhard; Buisman, Cees; ter Heijne, Annemiek (2016-11-01). "Bioelectrochemical Power-to-Gas: State of the Art and Future Perspectives". Trends in Biotechnology. 34 (11): 879–894. doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.08.010. ISSN 0167-7799. PMID 27666730.
- ^ a b c Hara, Masahiro; Onaka, Yutaka; Kobayashi, Hajime; Fu, Qian; Kawaguchi, Hideo; Vilcaez, Javier; Sato, Kozo (2013). "Mechanism of Electromethanogenic Reduction of CO2 by a Thermophilic Methanogen". Energy Procedia. 37: 7021–7028. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2013.06.637. ISSN 1876-6102.