Water Splitting-Biosynthetic Hybrid System for CO2 Conversion using Nickel Nanoparticles Embedded in N-Doped Carbon Nanotubes

作者：Li, Zhongjian; Li, Gang; Chen, Xinlu; Xia, Zheng; Yang, Bin; Yao, Jiani; Lei, Lecheng; Hou, Yang^*

来源：Chemsuschem, 2018, 11(14): 2382-2387.

DOI：10.1002/cssc.201800878

• carbon dioxide reduction
• microbial electrosynthesis
• nitrogen-doped carbon
• poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate
• water splitting

CO2 reduction has drawn increasing attention owing to the concern of global warming. Water splitting-biosynthetic hybrid systems are novel and efficient approaches for CO2 conversion. Intimate coupling of electrocatalysts and biosynthesis requires the catalysts possess both high catalytic performance and excellent biocompatibility, which is a bottleneck of developing such catalysts. Here, a complex of Ni nanoparticles embedded in N-doped carbon nanotubes (Ni@N-C) is synthesized as a hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalyst and is coupled with a hydrogen oxidizing autotroph, Cupriavidus necator H16, to convert CO2 to poly--hydroxybutyrate. In Ni@N-C, the Ni nanoparticles are encapsulated in N-C nanotubes, which prevents bacteria from direct contact with Ni and inhibits Ni2+ leaching. As a result, Ni@N-C exhibits excellent biocompatibility and stability. This work demonstrates that electrocatalysts and biosynthesis can be intimately coupled through rational catalyst design.

• 出版日期2018-7-20
• 单位浙江大学