Biorefining of precious metals from wastes: an answer to manufacturing of cheap nanocatalysts for fuel cells and power generation via an integrated biorefinery

• Published in: Biotechnology letters Vol. 32; no. 12; pp. 1821 - 1828
• Main Authors: Yong, Ping, Mikheenko, Iryna P, Deplanche, Kevin, Redwood, Mark D, Macaskie, Lynne E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01-12-2010; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Applied Microbiology; Biochemistry; Bioelectric Energy Sources; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biorefineries; Biotechnology; Catalysts; Clean energy; Cupriavidus - metabolism; Desulfovibrio desulfuricans; Desulfovibrio desulfuricans - metabolism; E coli; Electricity; Electrodes - microbiology; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - metabolism; Fuel cell catalyst; Fuel cells; Fuel technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Industrial Waste; Lead; Life Sciences; Metal recovery; Microbiology; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; Original Research Paper; Palladium; Palladium - metabolism; Refining; Strain; Wastes; Fuel cell catalyst; Palladium; Metal recovery; Escherichia coli; Metal; Desulfovibrio desulfuricans; Bacteria; Biorefinery; Wastes; Manufacturing; Catalyst; Fuel cell; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0141-5492; 1573-6776
• DOI: 10.1007/s10529-010-0378-6

Bio-manufacturing of nano-scale palladium was achieved via enzymatically-mediated deposition of Pd from solution using Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, Escherichia coli and Cupriavidus metallidurans. Dried ‘Bio-Pd' materials were sintered, applied onto carbon papers and tested as anodes in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell for power production. At a Pd(0) loading of 25% by mass the fuel cell power using Bio-Pd D. desulfuricans (positive control) and Bio-Pd E. coli (negative control) was ~140 and ~30 mW respectively. Bio-Pd C. metallidurans was intermediate between these with a power output of ~60 mW. An engineered strain of E. coli (IC007) was previously reported to give a Bio-Pd that was >3-fold more active than Bio-Pd of the parent E. coli MC4100 (i.e. a power output of >110 mW). Using this strain, a mixed metallic catalyst was manufactured from an industrial processing waste. This ‘Bio-precious metal' (‘Bio-PM') gave ~68% of the power output as commercial Pd(0) and ~50% of that of Bio-Pd D. desulfuricans when used as fuel cell anodic material. The results are discussed in relation to integrated bioprocessing for clean energy.