(238e) Renewable Carbohydrates Are a High-Energy Density Storage Carrier for Generation of Hydrogen or Electricity

Cellulosic material is the most abundant renewable carbon-containing polysaccharide. Each year more than 100 billion tons of cellulosic material is produced by photosynthesis. We have demonstrated a novel cell-free synthetic pathway biotransformation (SyPaB) reaction for generation of hydrogen from starch or cellulosic materials and water as C6H10O5 (aq) + 7 H2O (l) --> 12 H2 (g) + 6 CO2 (g) [1,2]. These endothermic entropy-driven chemical reaction achieve the chemical energy output (hydrogen)/input (cellulosic materials) > 1 by absorbing ambient-temperature thermal energy for the first time [2,3]. Here we proposed to use cellulosic polysaccharide as a high-energy density hydrogen carrier (e.g., 14.8 mass H2%) through cell-free synthetic pathway biotransformation. With integration of PEM fuel cells for water recycling and heat exchange, the super-energy density sugar battery with at least 10-fold energy density of current lithium batteries is under development.

[1] Y.-H. P. Zhang, B. R. Evans, J. R. Mielenz, R. C. Hopkins, M. W. W. Adams, PLoS One 2007, 2, e456.

[2] X. Ye, Y. Wang, R. C. Hopkins, M. W. W. Adams, B. R. Evans, J. R. Mielenz and Y.-H. P. Zhang, ChemSusChem, 2009, 2, 149-152.