A Semiconductor Biohybrid System for Photo-Synergetic Enhancement of Biological Hydrogen Production.

CdS nanoparticles were introduced on E. coli cells to construct a hydrogen generating biohybrid system via the biointerface of tannic acid-Fe complex. This hybrid system promotes good biological activity in a high salinity environment. Under light illumination, the as-synthesized biohybrid system achieves a 32.44 % enhancement of hydrogen production in seawater through a synergistic effect.

External Electrons Directly Stimulate Escherichia coli for Enhancing Biological Hydrogen Production.

External electric field has the potential to influence metabolic processes such as biological hydrogen production in microorganisms. Based on this concept, we designed and constructed an electroactive hybrid system for microbial biohydrogen production under an electric field comprised of polydopamine (PDA)-modified Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Ni foam (NF). In this system, electrons generated from NF directly migrate into E. coli cells to promote highly efficient biocatalytic hydrogen production. Compared to that generated in the absence of electric field stimulation, biohydrogen production by the PDA-modified E. coli-based system is significantly enhanced. This investigation has demonstrated the mechanism for electron transfer in a biohybrid system and gives insight into precise basis for the enhancement of hydrogen production by using the multifield coupling technology.