ISSN: 0256-1115 (print version) ISSN: 1975-7220 (electronic version)
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Conflict of Interest
In relation to this article, we declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Publication history
Received March 18, 2024
Accepted July 9, 2024
articles This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Scalable Ammonia Synthesis in Fermentors Using Quantum Dot- Azotobacter vinelandii Hybrids

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) 1Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) , KAIST Institute for the Nanocentury (KINC), KAIST 2Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross Generation Collaborative Laboratory , BioProcess Engineering Research Center, KAIST 3BioInformatics Research Center, KAIST 4R&D Center, GS Caltex Corporation
Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, December 2024, 41(13), 3593-3601(9), https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-024-00225-y

Abstract

This study introduces a scalable synthesis of ammonia through photochemical reactions, wherein nitrogen-fi xing bacterial

cells, Azotobacter vinelandii ( A. vinelandii ), form hybrids with colloidal quantum dots (QDs). Irradiation of the QD- A.

vinelandii hybrids with visible light is found to signifi cantly enhance ammonia production effi ciency. The inherently low

ammonia conversion rate of wild-type A. vinelandii is substantially increased upon incorporation of QDs. This increase

is attributed to the electron transfer from QDs within the bacterial cells to intracellular bio-components. Transferring this

chemistry to a large-scale reaction presents a tremendous challenge, as it requires precise control over the growth conditions.

We explore the scalability of the QD- A. vinelandii hybrids by conducting the photochemical reaction in a 5-L fermentor

under various parameters, such as dissolved oxygen, nutrient supply, and pH. Interestingly, ammonia was produced in media

depleted of carbon sources. Consequently, a two-step fermentation process was designed, enabling eff ective ammonia

production. Our fi ndings demonstrate that the QD- A. vinelandii hybrid system in a bioreactor setup achieves an ammonia

turnover frequency of 11.96 s −1 , marking a more than sixfold increase in effi ciency over that of nitrogenase enzymes alone.

This advancement highlights the potential of integrating biological and nanotechnological elements for scalable ammonia

production processes.

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