title: Effects of flow rate and substrate concentration on the formation and H2 production of photosynthetic bacterial biofilms.
abstract: Photosynthetic bacteria (PSB), Rhodopseudomonas palustris CQK 01, were immobilized on the surface of a thin glass slide in a lab-scale flat panel photobioreactor under different flow rates and substrate concentrations. The morphology, dry weight and thickness of the mature PSB biofilms were determined to reveal the relationship between biofilm formation and hydrogen production performance. The mature biofilm formed at a low flow rate and a high substrate concentration showed a looser structure, these structures of the mature biofilm then affected the H(2) production performance of the bioreactor during mature stage. The biofilm formed at a flow rate of 228 ml/h and a substrate concentration of 60 mmol/l exhibited the highest dry weight and optimally porous structure, which is beneficial not only for hydrogen removal from the biofilm but also glucose diffusion into the biofilm, thus significantly boosting the photo-hydrogen production performance.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400030, China.
authors.forename: Ye-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Yong-Zhong
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D018533:Biomass; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D058433:Photobioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D012212:Rheology; D012241:Rhodopseudomonas / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen