INCORPORATION OF IRON NANOPARTICLES IN CARBOHYDRATE FERMENTATION BY Clostridium pasteurianum TO PROMOTE HYDROGEN PRODUCTION

• Grant number: 22/12915-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Valeria Reginatto Spiller
• Grantee: Danielli Azevedo Monico
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The concern with the energy issue has led to the search for alternatives that are of lower cost and environmental impact. Hydrogen gas is a good alternative since it is considered a clean source of energy since its complete combustion leads to the formation of water and energy. One of the bottlenecks for the implementation of hydrogen in the energy matrix is the high energy demand directly or indirectly, which ends up making the process more expensive, in addition to making it dependent on other energy sources. One way to make hydrogen production more sustainable is to opt for a biological route, such as dark fermentation. This work aims to optimize hydrogen production by the fermentation of carbohydrates using the microorganism Clostridium pasteurianum, integrating nanotechnology, using iron nanoparticles. In addition, electro-fermentation will be studied, a technology that consists of directing fermentation through redox and pH balances to increase the production of products of interest. In the project's first stage, the culture medium compounds that cause the best effects on microorganism growth and hydrogen production will be investigated, as well as the optimization of this culture medium and the optimal initial glucose concentration. In a second step, iron nanoparticles will be synthesized, which will later be used in the coating of electrodes to carry out tests using them both free and immobilized. In the final stage, electro-fermentation tests will be carried out, in which electrodes coated with iron nanoparticles will also be applied to verify the effects caused both by the electro-fermentation technique itself, and its junction with the nanoparticles, on the efficiency of hydrogen production.