Rethinking biological activation of methane and conversion to liquid fuels
| Autor: | Chad A. Haynes, Ramon Gonzalez |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2014 |
| Předmět: |
Resource (biology)
Waste management Chemistry Bioconversion business.industry Cell Biology Aerobiosis Methane chemistry.chemical_compound Natural gas Biofuels Biological activation Production (economics) Capital cost Organic chemistry Petroleum Anaerobiosis business Oxidation-Reduction Molecular Biology Biotransformation |
| Zdroj: | Nature Chemical Biology. 10:331-339 |
| ISSN: | 1552-4469 1552-4450 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/nchembio.1509 |
| Popis: | Methane is an energy resource that is currently being wasted through emissions, venting and flaring during petroleum extraction. Recent discoveries regarding the basis of enzyme function and microbial metabolism provide the foundation for new thinking about how to reclaim this resource through bioconversion. If methane, the main component of natural gas, can be efficiently converted to liquid fuels, world reserves of methane could satisfy the demand for transportation fuels in addition to use in other sectors. However, the direct activation of strong C-H bonds in methane and conversion to desired products remains a difficult technological challenge. This perspective reveals an opportunity to rethink the logic of biological methane activation and conversion to liquid fuels. We formulate a vision for a new foundation for methane bioconversion and suggest paths to develop technologies for the production of liquid transportation fuels from methane at high carbon yield and high energy efficiency and with low CO2 emissions. These technologies could support natural gas bioconversion facilities with a low capital cost and at small scales, which in turn could monetize the use of natural gas resources that are frequently flared, vented or emitted. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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