Hydrogen production using photosynthetic bacteria

Abstract

Hydrogen production using photosynthetic bacteria is reviewed here with special reference to the contributions from Japan. Research has been focused on various aspects related to the subject, from basic to applied. The capability of biomass conversion to hydrogen was studied from the point of view of energetics. Application technologies as reactor designs have been studied extensively in Japan in the 1990s. Light penetration to the bacterial suspension was analyzed, and a method for maximizing hydrogen production from a vessel was proposed. After great problems with electricity supply, serious approaches are being carried out for realization of renewable energy systems.The combination of biologically prepared hydrogen with renewable energy such as solar cells and wind turbines is examined to stabilize the output of small-scale electric grids. The hydrogen production process is initiated by the conversion of light quanta to chemical energy. The early process of photosynthesis and the following chemical processes are still on the frontiers of science. A mysterious event of ATP synthesis at the mitochondrial membrane is also reviewed. Studies are also concerned with the structures and physical and biochemical functions of proteins in early photosynthesis. Applications of basic science on the early process of photosynthesis have been continuous in Japan with the development of photoelectric devices with Japanese cutting-edge technology of electron conductive materials as carbon nanotubes.