Abbreviations
CCS
Carbon dioxide capture and sequestration
Cys-Mo-FDH
Cysteine, molybdenum-containing formate dehydrogenase
Cys-W-FDH
Cysteine, tungsten-containing formate dehydrogenase
EPR
Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic
Fe/Fe-Hase
Iron–iron hydrogenase
Fe/S
Iron–sulfur centres
FDH
Formate dehydrogenase
FMFDH
N-formyl-methanofuran dehydrogenase
GDE
Gas diffusion electrode
Mo-FDH
Molybdenum-containing formate dehydrogenase
Ni/Fe-Hase
Nickel/iron-containing hydrogenase
RES
Renewable energy sources
SeCys-Mo-FDH Selenocysteine, molybdenum-containing formate
dehydrogenase
SeCys-W-FDH
Selenocysteine, tungsten-containing formate dehydrogenase
XAS
X-ray absorption spectroscopy
VC
Added-value compounds or valuable compounds
W-FDH
Tungsten-containing formate dehydrogenase
1 The Relentless Rise of Carbon Dioxide
In 2018 alone, more than 36Gt of CO 2 [1] were dumped into the atmosphere as
waste material from fossil resources-based energy and chemical industries! In that
year, the global atmospheric CO 2 concentration reached an annual average value of
407 ppm, an increase of 150% since pre-industrial times (277 ppm in 1750)
(Fig. 1) [1]. Yet, new records are being set, and a monthly average of 416 ppm was
already observed this March 2020 [2]. This ever-increasing atmospheric CO 2
concentration is causing large and unpredictable impacts on the Earth climate, due
to the CO 2 significant greenhouse effect, besides being responsible for the ocean
acidification, with consequent huge impacts in our daily lives and in all forms of
life.
Atmospheric CO 2 concentration results from the balance between CO 2 emission
and uptake [3]. CO 2 is emitted from human activities, such as fossil fuel combustion and oxidation from other energy and industrial processes (10.0Gt of carbon
in 2018 [1]) and deliberate activities on land, mainly deforestation (1.5Gt of carbon
in 2018 [1]), as well as, from natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions and
biological emissions. On the other plate of the scale, the small “CO 2 sinks” are
mainly provided by physical and biological processes in oceans (2.6Gt of carbon in
30
L. B. Maia et al.
CCS
Carbon dioxide capture and sequestration
Cys-Mo-FDH
Cysteine, molybdenum-containing formate dehydrogenase
Cys-W-FDH
Cysteine, tungsten-containing formate dehydrogenase
EPR
Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic
Fe/Fe-Hase
Iron–iron hydrogenase
Fe/S
Iron–sulfur centres
FDH
Formate dehydrogenase
FMFDH
N-formyl-methanofuran dehydrogenase
GDE
Gas diffusion electrode
Mo-FDH
Molybdenum-containing formate dehydrogenase
Ni/Fe-Hase
Nickel/iron-containing hydrogenase
RES
Renewable energy sources
SeCys-Mo-FDH Selenocysteine, molybdenum-containing formate
dehydrogenase
SeCys-W-FDH
Selenocysteine, tungsten-containing formate dehydrogenase
XAS
X-ray absorption spectroscopy
VC
Added-value compounds or valuable compounds
W-FDH
Tungsten-containing formate dehydrogenase
1 The Relentless Rise of Carbon Dioxide
In 2018 alone, more than 36Gt of CO 2 [1] were dumped into the atmosphere as
waste material from fossil resources-based energy and chemical industries! In that
year, the global atmospheric CO 2 concentration reached an annual average value of
407 ppm, an increase of 150% since pre-industrial times (277 ppm in 1750)
(Fig. 1) [1]. Yet, new records are being set, and a monthly average of 416 ppm was
already observed this March 2020 [2]. This ever-increasing atmospheric CO 2
concentration is causing large and unpredictable impacts on the Earth climate, due
to the CO 2 significant greenhouse effect, besides being responsible for the ocean
acidification, with consequent huge impacts in our daily lives and in all forms of
life.
Atmospheric CO 2 concentration results from the balance between CO 2 emission
and uptake [3]. CO 2 is emitted from human activities, such as fossil fuel combustion and oxidation from other energy and industrial processes (10.0Gt of carbon
in 2018 [1]) and deliberate activities on land, mainly deforestation (1.5Gt of carbon
in 2018 [1]), as well as, from natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions and
biological emissions. On the other plate of the scale, the small “CO 2 sinks” are
mainly provided by physical and biological processes in oceans (2.6Gt of carbon in
30
L. B. Maia et al.