2019 journal article
Nitrogen Gas Fixation and Conversion to Ammonium Using Microbial Electrolysis Cells
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
author keywords: Nitrogen fixation; Ammonium production; Haber-Bosch; Microbial electrochemical technology; Geobacter
TL;DR:
This study explored the possibility of converting N2 into NH4+ using anaerobic, single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) and found that the presence of NH4+, which can inhibit the activity of the nitrogenase enzyme, did not significantly reduce N2 fixation rates.
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UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
(Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: February 5, 2019
Ammonia (NH3) is an important industrial chemical that is produced using the energy- and carbon-intensive Haber-Bosch process. Recovering NH3 from microorganisms that fix nitrogen gas (N2) may provide a sustainable alternative because their specialized nitrogenase enzymes can reduce N2 to ammonium (NH4+) without the need for high temperature and pressure. This study explored the possibility of converting N2 into NH4+ using anaerobic, single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). N2 fixation rates [based on an acetylene gas (C2H2) to ethylene gas (C2H4) conversion assay] of a microbial consortium increased significantly when the applied voltage between the anode and cathode increased from 0.7 to 1.0 V and reached a maximum of ∼40 nmol of C2H4 min–1 mg protein–1, which is comparable to model aerobic N2-fixing bacteria. The presence of NH4+, which can inhibit the activity of the nitrogenase enzyme, did not significantly reduce N2 fixation rates. Upon addition of methionine sulfoximine, an NH4+ uptake i...