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Fermentative biohydrogen production: trends and perspectives

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Abstract

Biologically produced hydrogen (biohydrogen) is a valuable gas that is seen as a future energy carrier, since its utilization via combustion or fuel cells produces pure water. Heterotrophic fermentations for biohydrogen production are driven by a wide variety of microorganisms such as strict anaerobes, facultative anaerobes and aerobes kept under anoxic conditions. Substrates such as simple sugars, starch, cellulose, as well as diverse organic waste materials can be used for biohydrogen production. Various bioreactor types have been used and operated under batch and continuous conditions; substantial increases in hydrogen yields have been achieved through optimum design of the bioreactor and fermentation conditions. This review explores the research work carried out in fermentative hydrogen production using organic compounds as substrates. The review also presents the state of the art in novel molecular strategies to improve the hydrogen production.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Fondo Mixto San Luis Potosí – Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (FMSLP-2005-C01-23).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. División de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa San José 2055, Col. Lomas 4a, Sección, C.P. 78216, San Luis Potosi, SLP, Mexico

    Gustavo Davila-Vazquez, Sonia Arriaga, Felipe Alatriste-Mondragón & Elías Razo-Flores

  2. División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa San José 2055, Col. Lomas 4a, Sección, C.P. 78216, San Luis Potosi, SLP, Mexico

    Antonio de León-Rodríguez & Luis Manuel Rosales-Colunga

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  1. Gustavo Davila-Vazquez
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  2. Sonia Arriaga
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  3. Felipe Alatriste-Mondragón
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  4. Antonio de León-Rodríguez
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Correspondence to Elías Razo-Flores.

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Davila-Vazquez, G., Arriaga, S., Alatriste-Mondragón, F. et al. Fermentative biohydrogen production: trends and perspectives. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 7, 27–45 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-007-9122-7

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