Biohydrogen Production from Carbon Monoxide and Water by Rhodopseudomonas palustris P4

• Published in: Biotechnology and bioprocess engineering Vol. 10; no. 3; pp. 270 - 274
• Main Authors: Oh, Y.K. (Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea), Kim, Y.J. (Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea), Park, J.Y. (Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea), Lee, T.H. (Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea), Kim, M.S. (Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon, Republic of Korea), Park, S.H. (Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea), E-mail: parksh@pusan.ac.kr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 한국생물공학회 01.05.2005
• Subjects: CARBON MONOXIDE; hydrogen production; MONOXIDO DE CARBONO; OXYDE DE CARBONE; Rhodopseudomonas palustris; two-step process; water-gas shift reaction; 생물공학
• ISSN: 1226-8372; 1976-3816
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02932024

A reactor-scale hydrogen (H₂) production via the water-gas shift reaction of carbon monoxide (CO) and water was studied using the purple nonsulfur bacterium, Rhodopseudomonas palustris P4. The experiment was conducted in a two-step process: an aerobic/chemoheterotrophic cell growth step and a subsequent anaerobic H₂ production step. Important parameters investigated included the agitation speed, inlet CO concentration and gas retention time. P4 showed a stable H₂ production capability with a maximum activity of 41 mmol H₂ g cell-¹h-¹ during the continuous reactor operation of 400 h.