Characterization of Electrical Current-Generation Capabilities from Thermophilic Bacterium Thermoanaerobacter pseudethanolicus Using Xylose, Glucose, Cellobiose, or Acetate with Fixed Anode Potentials

Environ Sci Technol. 2015 Dec 15;49(24):14725-31. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.5b04036. Epub 2015 Nov 24.

Abstract

Thermoanaerobacter pseudethanolicus 39E (ATCC 33223), a thermophilic, Fe(III)-reducing, and fermentative bacterium, was evaluated for its ability to produce current from four electron donors-xylose, glucose, cellobiose, and acetate-with a fixed anode potential (+ 0.042 V vs SHE) in a microbial electrochemical cell (MXC). Under thermophilic conditions (60 °C), T. pseudethanolicus produced high current densities from xylose (5.8 ± 2.4 A m(-2)), glucose (4.3 ± 1.9 A m(-2)), and cellobiose (5.2 ± 1.6 A m(-2)). It produced insignificant current when grown with acetate, but consumed the acetate produced from sugar fermentation to produce electrical current. Low-scan cyclic voltammetry (LSCV) revealed a sigmoidal response with a midpoint potential of -0.17 V vs SHE. Coulombic efficiency (CE) varied by electron donor, with xylose at 34.8% ± 0.7%, glucose at 65.3% ± 1.0%, and cellobiose at 27.7% ± 1.5%. Anode respiration was sustained over a pH range of 5.4-8.3, with higher current densities observed at higher pH values. Scanning electron microscopy showed a well-developed biofilm of T. pseudethanolicus on the anode, and confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated a maximum biofilm thickness (Lf) greater than ~150 μm for the glucose-fed biofilm.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetates
  • Bioelectric Energy Sources*
  • Biofilms
  • Cellobiose / metabolism
  • Electrochemical Techniques / instrumentation
  • Electrodes*
  • Fermentation
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Thermoanaerobacter / chemistry
  • Thermoanaerobacter / metabolism*
  • Xylose / metabolism

Substances

  • Acetates
  • Cellobiose
  • Xylose
  • Glucose