title: Enhancing the light utilization efficiency of microalgae using organic dyes.
abstract: Solar radiation is composed of wide light spectrum including the range which cannot be utilized for microalgae. To enhance the light utilization efficiency, organic dye solutions of rhodamine101 and 9,10-diphenylanthracene were used as wavelength converters. Each dye affected cell growth and lipid accumulation differently, based on the response of each to different light spectrum. Under a light intensity of 50 W/m(2), maximum cell growth (1.5 g/L) was obtained with the red organic dye rhodamine101, whereas best lipid content (30%) with the blue type 9,10-diphenylanthracene. These two separate and complementary traits could be combined by simple mixing, and in so doing optimal growth (1.5 g/L) as well as lipid accumulation (30%) was achieved: lipid productivity was 2.3 times greater than without the organic dye. This study proved that certain organic dye solutions could convert useless wavelengths to be useful for algae cultivation, thereby increasing the productivity of biomass and lipids.
authors: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, KAIST, 373-1, Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Yeong Hwan
authors: YH
authors: Seo
authors: Department of Materials and Science and Engineering, KAIST, 373-1, Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Yonghee
authors: Y
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Materials and Science and Engineering, KAIST, 373-1, Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Duk Young
authors: DY
authors: Jeon
authors: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, KAIST, 373-1, Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: hanj2@kaist.ac.kr.
authors: Jong-In
authors: JI
authors: Han
mesh_terms: D000873:Anthracenes / Q000378:metabolism; D002708:Chlorella / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D058086:Microalgae / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D000873:Anthracenes; D004396:Coloring Agents; C046961:9,10-diphenylanthracene
keywords: Microalgae; Organic dyes; Photosynthetic efficiency; Solar simulator; Wavelength