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Project title

Semi-artificial systems for �green� solar-to-chemical synthesis.

Primary Funding Agency

Irish Research Council

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

Nature provides evolutionarily-optimised biocatalysts. Of interest are electrogenic bacteria found in soil, wastewater/hot springs, which dispense respiratory electrons to reduce metals by conveying endogenous electrons across the cell membrane to extracellular electron acceptors. This allows employment of biological metabolism for extracellular redox transformations, which can be exploited in microbial fuel cells, semiartificial photosynthetic systems, and most importantly in the synthesis of value-added chemicals. Chemical synthesis with electrogenic bacteria although being exploited, is limited to metabolites/intermediates associated with the metabolism of these microbes (i.e. acetate, succinate). Thus, there is great potential in using these endogenous electrons to control exogenous redox processes, which can result in value-added chemicals of major social, environmental, scientific, and economic benefits. Atom Transfer Radical Polymerisation (ATRP, Figure 1) could be highly benefitted if combined with electrogenic bacteria. It is one of the most commonly employed �controlled/living� radical polymerisations, which provides polymers with well-defined macromolecular characteristics, compositions and nano-architectures. Despite the advances in the field, ATRP still produces polymers of high quality in organic solvent, however, in water the polymer quality is rather low. The paradigm shift towards �green� solvents (i.e. water) is essential for scalability, sustainability and environmental purposes. For this purpose, ARGET and electrochemical ATRP were developed, however, they require continued input of additional chemicals and electricity from fossil fuels. The objective of this project is to address these key challenges: (i) various electrogenic bacteria will be coupled with ATRP to synthesise biocompatible polymers in water, and make correlations between bacterial metabolism/extracellular electron transfer, and ATRP kinetics/polymer quality. (ii) These conclusions will be then employed so to expand/apply the method to a number of polymers of industrial significance. (iii) The electrogenic bacteria will be combined with cost effective photoabsorbers to achieve solar-driven control of the bacterial metabolic activity, for improved polymerisation yields/macromolecular characteristics.

Grant Approved

�82,500.00

Research Hub

n/a

Research Theme

Climate Solutions, Transition Management and Opportunities

Start Date

01/09/2022

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/08/2025