Synergistic effect of hydrogen and nanoscale zero-valent iron on ex-situ biogas upgrading and acetate recovery

Hydrogen (H2) assisted ex-situ biogas upgrading and liquid chemicals production can augment the fossil fuel -dominated energy market, and alleviate CO2-induced global warming. Recent investigations confirmed that nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) enabled the enhancement of anaerobic digestion for biogas production. However, little is known about the effect of nZVI on the downstream ex-situ biogas upgrading. Herein, different levels (0 mg L-1, 100 mg L-1, 200 mg L-1, 500 mg L-1, 1000 mg L-1, 2000 mg L-1) of nZVI were added for H2-assisted ex-situ biogas upgrading, to study whether nZVI could impact the biomethane purity and acetate yield for the first time. Results showed that all tested nZVI levels were favorable for biogas upgrading in the presence of H2, the highest biomethane content (94.1 %, v/v), the CO2 utilization ratio (95.9 %), and acetate yield (19.4 mmol L-1) were achieved at 500 mg L-1 nZVI, respectively. Further analysis indicated that increased biogas upgrading efficiency was related to an increase in extracellular polymeric substances, which ensures the microbial activity and stability of the ex-situ biogas upgrading. Microbial community characterization showed that the Petrimonas, Romboutsia, Acidaminococcus, and Clostridium pre-dominated the microbiome during biogas upgrading at 500 mg L-1 nZVI with H2 supply. These results suggested that nZVI and H2 contributed jointly to promoting the bioconversion of CO2 in biogas to acetate. The findings could be help-ful for paving a new way for efficient simultaneous ex-situ biogas upgrading and liquid chemicals recovery.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effect of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) on hydrogen-assisted ex-situ biogas upgrading. The results showed that nZVI at the appropriate concentration could enhance the efficiency of biogas upgrading, increasing the biomethane purity and acetate yield. Microbial community analysis revealed the role of nZVI in the upgrading process.