Electrochemical reduction of CO2 catalysed by Geobacter sulfurreducens grown on polarized stainless steel cathodes

• DOI: 10.1016/j.elecom.2012.11.033
• Publication Date: 2012-12-06T11:30:47Z
• Authors: Laurence Soussan; Julien Riess; Benjamin Erable; Marie-Line Delia; Alain Bergel
• Keywords: [CHIM.INOR] Chemical Sciences/Inorganic chemistry; 0301 basic medicine; [CHIM.POLY] Chemical Sciences/Polymers; [SDV.BIO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biotechnology; Matériaux; Biochimie; Biotechnologies; [CHIM.INOR]Chemical Sciences/Inorganic chemistry; Chimie inorganique; 03 medical and health sciences; [SDV.BBM.BC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Biochemistry [q-bio.BM]; [INFO.INFO-BT]Computer Science [cs]/Biotechnology; [SDV.BBM.BC] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Biochemistry [q-bio.BM]; [CHIM.MATE] Chemical Sciences/Material chemistry; [CHIM.MATE]Chemical Sciences/Material chemistry; Microbial electrocatalysis; 6. Clean water; Polymères; [SDV.BIO] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biotechnology; [CHIM.POLY]Chemical Sciences/Polymers; [INFO.INFO-BT] Computer Science [cs]/Biotechnology; CO2 reduction; Geobacter sulfurreducens; Biocathode

Polarized stainless steel cathodes in pure cultures of Geobacter sulfurreducens generated reduction currents of up to 30 A/m2 even when the sole electron acceptor contained in solution was completely reduced. It was shown here that these currents were driven by the carbon dioxide that was provided to the solution. It was postulated that CO2 reduction consumed succinate and produced glycerol, which remained stored inside the cells and was released under the effect of stress.