Wastewater treatment meets artificial photosynthesis: Solar to green fuel production, water remediation and carbon emission reduction

doi:10.1007/s11783-022-1536-5

Front. Environ. Sci. Eng.

2022, Vol. 16

Issue (4) : 53 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-022-1536-5

PERSPECTIVE

Wastewater treatment meets artificial photosynthesis: Solar to green fuel production, water remediation and carbon emission reduction

Zhida Li, Lu Lu(

)

State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China

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Abstract

• Mitigating energy utilization and carbon emission is urgent for wastewater treatment.

• MPEC integrates both solar energy storage and wastewater organics removal.

• Energy self-sustaining MPEC allows to mitigate the fossil carbon emission.

• MPEC is able to convert CO₂ into storable carbon fuel using renewable energy.

• MPEC would inspire photoelectrochemistry by employing a novel oxidation reaction.

Current wastewater treatment (WWT) is energy-intensive and leads to vast CO₂ emissions. Chinese pledge of “double carbon” target encourages a paradigm shift from fossil fuels use to renewable energy harvesting during WWT. In this context, hybrid microbial photoelectrochemical (MPEC) system integrating microbial electrochemical WWT with artificial photosynthesis (APS) emerges as a promising approach to tackle water-energy-carbon challenges simultaneously. Herein, we emphasized the significance to implement energy recovery during WWT for achieving the carbon neutrality goal. Then, we elucidated the working principle of MPEC and its advantages compared with conventional APS, and discussed its potential in fulfilling energy self-sustaining WWT, carbon capture and solar fuel production. Finally, we provided a strategy to judge the carbon profit by analysis of energy and carbon fluxes in a MPEC using several common organics in wastewater. Overall, MPEC provides an alternative of WWT approach to assist carbon-neutral goal, and simultaneously achieves solar harvesting, conversion and storage.

Keywords Wastewater treatment Artificial photosynthesis Microbial photoelectrochemical (MPEC) system Carbon neutral Renewable energy

Corresponding Author(s): Lu Lu

Issue Date: 26 January 2022

Cite this article:

Zhida Li,Lu Lu. Wastewater treatment meets artificial photosynthesis: Solar to green fuel production, water remediation and carbon emission reduction[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2022, 16(4): 53.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-022-1536-5
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2022/V16/I4/53

Fig.1 Schematics of MPEC and conventional APS. (A) Band gap (horizontal line), conduction (E_CB) and valence band (E_VB) positions (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE), and photocurrent density of common semiconductors under conditions of pH= 7, T = 298.15K, P = 1 atm, and 1 sun illumination (100 mW/cm²). The black, red, blue, and green dotted lines are the thermodynamic potentials for water oxidation, acetate (organic) oxidation, water reduction, and CO₂ reduction to CO, respectively. (B) APS water splitting and CO₂ reduction within single semiconductor (CB: conduction band; VB: valance band). (C) Integration of microbial electrochemical wastewater treatment and APS. (D) MPEC working principle. MPEC harvests the energy embedded in wastewater organics to power photoelectrochemical reduction, holding great promise to resolve water-energy-carbon problems simultaneously.

Type of substrate	$n CO 2$ , (mol-CO₂ produced/mol-substrate)	$n e –$ (mol-e^– produced/mol-substrate)	n_CO (mol-CO produced/mol-substrate)	Carbon profit of CO₂ reduction	$n H 2$ (mol-H₂ produced/mol-substrate)	Recovered hydrogen energy (kJ)	Energy required by CO₂reduction to CO (kJ)	Carbon profit of H₂ production
Glucose	6	16.8	7.98	Negative (>1)	7.98	2234.4	1551.6	Negative (>1)
Ethanol	2	8.4	3.99	Negative (>1)	3.99	1117.2	517.2	Negative (>1)
Formate	1	1.4	0.665	Positive (<1)	0.665	186.2	258.6	Positive (<1)
Acetate	2	5.6	2.66	Negative (>1)	2.66	744.8	517.2	Negative (>1)
Lactate	3	8.4	3.99	Negative (>1)	3.99	1117.2	775.8	Negative (>1)
Proprionate	3	9.8	4.655	Negative (>1)	4.655	1303.4	775.8	Negative (>1)
Butyrate	4	14	6.65	Negative (>1)	6.65	1862	1034.4	Negative (>1)

Tab.1 The carbon profit of a MPEC using different types of organic substrates for CO₂ reduction to CO or H₂ production

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