9.4.3 Hydrogen Production Using Photosynthetic
Microorganisms
A. Photosynthetic Microorganism Hydrogen Production Mechanism and Its
Principles
Microorganisms that produce hydrogen through photosynthesis can be broadly
divided into photosynthetic bacteria and seaweeds such as green and blue-green
algae according to the photosynthesis mechanism, the enzymes catalyzing hydrogen production, and available electron donors (Table 9.5).
Table 9.4 Hydrogen production rates and yields for major bacteria (Tanishio 2011)
Batch culture
Temp
(°C)
Substrate
Yield
(mol-H 2 /mol)
Production rate
(NL/L.h) (NL/g.h)
Obligate anaerobes bacteria
Clostridium sp. No. 2
36
Glucose
2
0.54
–
C. paraputrificum M-21
37
Nacetylglucosamine
2.5
0.69
–
Mesophilic bacterium HN001
47
Glucose
2.4
3.58
0.99
Facultative anaerobes bacteria
Enterobacter aerogenes E.82005 38
Glucose
1
0.47
0.38
E. cloacae IIT-BT 08
36
Sucrose
3
0.78
0.65
High-temperature bacteria
Thermotoga maritima
80
Glucose
4
0.22
–
Thermotoga elfii
65
Glucose
3.3
0.07
0.11
Caldicellulosiruptor
saccharolyticus
70
Sucrose
3.3
0.18
0.27
Clostridium thermocellum
60
Cellobiose
1
0.16
0.31
Continuous culture
Temp
(°C)
Substrate
Yield
(mol-H 2 /mol)
Production rate
(NL/L.h) (NL/g.h)
Obligate anaerobes bacteria
C. butyricum LMG1213tl
36
Glucose
1.5
0.49
–
Clostridium sp. No. 2
36
Glucose
2.4
0.47
–
C. pasteurianum
40
Sucrose
1.6
13.71
0.38
Facultative anaerobes bacteria
E. aerogenes E.82005
38
Molasses
1.3
0.81
0.38
E. aerogenes E.82005
38
Glucose
1
2.73
0.38
E. aerogenes HU-101 m AY-2
37
Glucose
1.1
1.3
–
High-temperature bacteria
Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1 85
Pyruvate
2.2
0.2
1.32
9.4 Biohydrogen Production
319