Electricity-powered artificial root nodule
Autor: | Xun Guan, Chong Liu, Shengtao Lu |
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Jazyk: | angličtina |
Rok vydání: | 2020 |
Předmět: |
Root nodule
Microorganism General Physics and Astronomy Biomass 02 engineering and technology 01 natural sciences 7. Clean energy Electricity Theoretical Models Electrochemistry lcsh:Science Multidisciplinary food and beverages Nitrogen Cycle 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Pulp and paper industry Renewable energy Nitrogen fixation Root Nodules Fertilizer 0210 nano-technology Root Nodules Plant Symbiotic bacteria Materials science Nitrogen Science engineering.material 010402 general chemistry General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology Article Catalysis Affordable and Clean Energy Ammonia Nitrogen Fixation Fertilizers Symbiosis Nitrogen cycle business.industry General Chemistry Plant Models Theoretical 0104 chemical sciences Climate Action 13. Climate action engineering Materials chemistry lcsh:Q business |
Zdroj: | Nature Communications, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2020) Nature communications, vol 11, iss 1 Nature Communications |
ISSN: | 2041-1723 |
Popis: | Root nodules are agricultural-important symbiotic plant-microbe composites in which microorganisms receive energy from plants and reduce dinitrogen (N2) into fertilizers. Mimicking root nodules using artificial devices can enable renewable energy-driven fertilizer production. This task is challenging due to the necessity of a microscopic dioxygen (O2) concentration gradient, which reconciles anaerobic N2 fixation with O2-rich atmosphere. Here we report our designed electricity-powered biological|inorganic hybrid system that possesses the function of root nodules. We construct silicon-based microwire array electrodes and replicate the O2 gradient of root nodules in the array. The wire array compatibly accommodates N2-fixing symbiotic bacteria, which receive energy and reducing equivalents from inorganic catalysts on microwires, and fix N2 in the air into biomass and free ammonia. A N2 reduction rate up to 6.5 mg N2 per gram dry biomass per hour is observed in the device, about two orders of magnitude higher than the natural counterparts. Root nodules are of key importance in nitrogen fixation. Here, the authors report on an electrically powered artificial root nodule for nitrogen fixation made from silicon-based microwires which can accommodate nitrogen fixing symbiotic bacteria for fixing nitrogen into biomass and free ammonia. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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