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Semiconducting Mineral Photocatalytic Regeneration of Fe 2+ Promotes Carbon Dioxide Acquisition by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans
Author(s) -
Yan LI,
Anhuai LU,
Xin WANG,
Hongrui DING,
Changqiu WANG
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
acta geologica sinica ‐ english edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1755-6724
pISSN - 1000-9515
DOI - 10.1111/1755-6724.12087
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , rutile , carbon fixation , electrochemistry , microorganism , electron , carbon dioxide , materials science , titanium dioxide , photoelectric effect , carbon fibers , bacteria , chemistry , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , metallurgy , catalysis , biology , electrode , physics , composite number , biochemistry , composite material , optoelectronics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , engineering , genetics
Chemoautotrophic organisms have once been excluded from the development of universally applicable CO 2 fixation technology due to its low production yields of biomass. In this study, we used Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ( A.f .) as a model chemoautotrophic microorganism to test the hypothesis that exogenetic photoelectrons from semiconducting mineral photocatalysis can enable the regeneration of Fe 2+ that could be then used by A.f . and support its growth. In a simulated electrochemical system, where exogenetic electrons were provided by an electrochemical approach, an accelerated growth rate of A.f . was observed as compared with that in traditional batch cultivation. In a coupled system, where light‐irradiated natural rutile provided the primary electron source to feed A.f ., the bacterial growth rate as well as the subsequent CO 2 fixation rate was demonstrated to be in a light‐dependent manner. The sustaining flow of photogenerated electrons from semiconducting mineral to bacteria provided an inexhaustible electron source for chemoautotrophic bacteria growth and CO 2 fixation. This finding might contribute to the development of novel effective CO 2 fixation technology.