Biochar facilitated Biological CO2 conversion to C2-C6 alcohols and fatty acids

Rahul Thunuguntla; Hasan K Atiyeh; Hailin Zhang; Thaddeus C Ezeji; Ralph S Tanner

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130464

Biochar facilitated Biological CO₂ conversion to C2-C6 alcohols and fatty acids

Bioresour Technol. 2024 Apr:397:130464. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130464. Epub 2024 Feb 22.

Authors

Rahul Thunuguntla¹, Hasan K Atiyeh², Hailin Zhang³, Thaddeus C Ezeji⁴, Ralph S Tanner⁵

Affiliations

¹ Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
² Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA. Electronic address: hasan.atiyeh@okstate.edu.
³ Plant and Soil Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
⁴ Department of Animal Science, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, USA; Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, USA.
⁵ Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.

PMID: 38401811
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130464

Abstract

Microbial CO₂ utilization reduces the carbon footprint, providing economic potential. Biochar, rich in minerals and trace metals, can enhance microbial activity. This study investigates poultry litter and switchgrass biochars produced at 350 and 700 °C (PLB350, PLB700, SGB350 and SGB700, respectively) affect CO₂ conversion to C2-C6 alcohols and acids by Clostridium muellerianum P21, C. ragsdalei P11 and C. carboxidivorans P7. Fermentations were in 250-mL bottles containing H₂:CO₂:N₂ (60:20:20) shaken at 125 rpm and 37 °C. SGB350 increased alcohol titers by 1.1-2.1 fold, and PLB350 enhanced acid concentrations by 1.2-1.7 fold compared to the control without biochar. About 2.0-3.3 fold more ethanol was formed by strain P11 compared to strains P7 and P21 with SGB350. However, strain P21 produced 2.4-fold more butanol than strain P7 with SGB350, including unique hexanol production. These results highlight the potential of biochar in enhancing C2-C6 alcohol production from CO₂, thereby boosting process feasibility.

Keywords: Acetogens; Biochar; Butanol; CO(2) utilization; Ethanol.

MeSH terms

Butanols*
Carbon Dioxide*
Charcoal*
Clostridium
Ethanol
Fatty Acids*
Fermentation

Substances

biochar
Carbon Dioxide
Fatty Acids
2-butanol
Ethanol
Butanols
Charcoal