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Deciphering Electron Shuttles for Bioremediation and Beyond

Received: 16 October 2016    Accepted:     Published: 17 October 2016
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Abstract

Electron shuttles (or redox mediators) are organic chemical(s) that can be reversibly oxidized and reduced to drive electron transport phenomena for energy extraction to support myriads of lives. Efficient energy recycling would provide economically-feasible route(s) to environmental remediation and cost-effective energy shuttling could optimize activities to sustain human health. Thus, using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as operation strategy is economically-competitive for pollutant bioremediation. Considering reductive decolorization, accumulation of decolorized metabolites (DM) could significantly stimulate electron-transfer (ET) capabilities for dye degradation. In addition, model intermediate(s) with auxochromes (e.g., amino and hydroxyl substituent(s)-containing chemicals) could act as electron shuttles (ESs) to feedback stimulate MFC-assisted degradation. Moreover, quantitative assessment of simultaneous reductive decolorization and bioelectricity generation (SRD&BG) via MFCs indicated that ET capabilities of SRD&BG could be augmented more than 40-70% due to autocatalysis of DM. Apparently, MFC-aided bioremediation was promising to wastewater decolorization due to redox-mediating characteristics of DM. In addition, impedance method in bioelectrochemistry was technically plausible due to specific fingerprints of different genus-related microalgae or microorganisms. As several edible flora (EF) contained crucial compositions to human health (e.g., antioxidants- polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids), extracts of EF were very likely to show promising ET capabilities to augment performance of RD and/or BG. That is, such stimulating capabilities were possibly associated to antioxidant characteristics of chemical species in EF. Evaluation of ET-stimulating characteristics of EF could thus be an indicator to prescreen whether candidate species of EF could be feasible antioxidant(s) or ESs for human health. As all lives utilize energy as driving force for sustaining diverse metabolic functioning, bioelectrochemistry is evidently vital to the biological world. As UN report mentioned, bioenergy will be a major portion of renewable energy for the planet’s energy supply by 2050. Therefore, ESs would play a significant role of energy extraction not only for environmental remediation, but also human health.

Published in American Journal of Chemical Engineering (Volume 4, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajche.20160405.14
Page(s) 114-121
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This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Electron Shuttle, Dye Decolorization, Bioelectricity Generation, Cyclic Voltammetry, Antioxidants

References
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    Bor-Yann Chen, Chung-Chuan Hsueh. (2016). Deciphering Electron Shuttles for Bioremediation and Beyond. American Journal of Chemical Engineering, 4(5), 114-121. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajche.20160405.14

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    Bor-Yann Chen; Chung-Chuan Hsueh. Deciphering Electron Shuttles for Bioremediation and Beyond. Am. J. Chem. Eng. 2016, 4(5), 114-121. doi: 10.11648/j.ajche.20160405.14

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    AMA Style

    Bor-Yann Chen, Chung-Chuan Hsueh. Deciphering Electron Shuttles for Bioremediation and Beyond. Am J Chem Eng. 2016;4(5):114-121. doi: 10.11648/j.ajche.20160405.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajche.20160405.14,
      author = {Bor-Yann Chen and Chung-Chuan Hsueh},
      title = {Deciphering Electron Shuttles for Bioremediation and Beyond},
      journal = {American Journal of Chemical Engineering},
      volume = {4},
      number = {5},
      pages = {114-121},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajche.20160405.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajche.20160405.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajche.20160405.14},
      abstract = {Electron shuttles (or redox mediators) are organic chemical(s) that can be reversibly oxidized and reduced to drive electron transport phenomena for energy extraction to support myriads of lives. Efficient energy recycling would provide economically-feasible route(s) to environmental remediation and cost-effective energy shuttling could optimize activities to sustain human health. Thus, using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as operation strategy is economically-competitive for pollutant bioremediation. Considering reductive decolorization, accumulation of decolorized metabolites (DM) could significantly stimulate electron-transfer (ET) capabilities for dye degradation. In addition, model intermediate(s) with auxochromes (e.g., amino and hydroxyl substituent(s)-containing chemicals) could act as electron shuttles (ESs) to feedback stimulate MFC-assisted degradation. Moreover, quantitative assessment of simultaneous reductive decolorization and bioelectricity generation (SRD&BG) via MFCs indicated that ET capabilities of SRD&BG could be augmented more than 40-70% due to autocatalysis of DM. Apparently, MFC-aided bioremediation was promising to wastewater decolorization due to redox-mediating characteristics of DM. In addition, impedance method in bioelectrochemistry was technically plausible due to specific fingerprints of different genus-related microalgae or microorganisms. As several edible flora (EF) contained crucial compositions to human health (e.g., antioxidants- polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids), extracts of EF were very likely to show promising ET capabilities to augment performance of RD and/or BG. That is, such stimulating capabilities were possibly associated to antioxidant characteristics of chemical species in EF. Evaluation of ET-stimulating characteristics of EF could thus be an indicator to prescreen whether candidate species of EF could be feasible antioxidant(s) or ESs for human health. As all lives utilize energy as driving force for sustaining diverse metabolic functioning, bioelectrochemistry is evidently vital to the biological world. As UN report mentioned, bioenergy will be a major portion of renewable energy for the planet’s energy supply by 2050. Therefore, ESs would play a significant role of energy extraction not only for environmental remediation, but also human health.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Deciphering Electron Shuttles for Bioremediation and Beyond
    AU  - Bor-Yann Chen
    AU  - Chung-Chuan Hsueh
    Y1  - 2016/10/17
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    JF  - American Journal of Chemical Engineering
    JO  - American Journal of Chemical Engineering
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    AB  - Electron shuttles (or redox mediators) are organic chemical(s) that can be reversibly oxidized and reduced to drive electron transport phenomena for energy extraction to support myriads of lives. Efficient energy recycling would provide economically-feasible route(s) to environmental remediation and cost-effective energy shuttling could optimize activities to sustain human health. Thus, using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as operation strategy is economically-competitive for pollutant bioremediation. Considering reductive decolorization, accumulation of decolorized metabolites (DM) could significantly stimulate electron-transfer (ET) capabilities for dye degradation. In addition, model intermediate(s) with auxochromes (e.g., amino and hydroxyl substituent(s)-containing chemicals) could act as electron shuttles (ESs) to feedback stimulate MFC-assisted degradation. Moreover, quantitative assessment of simultaneous reductive decolorization and bioelectricity generation (SRD&BG) via MFCs indicated that ET capabilities of SRD&BG could be augmented more than 40-70% due to autocatalysis of DM. Apparently, MFC-aided bioremediation was promising to wastewater decolorization due to redox-mediating characteristics of DM. In addition, impedance method in bioelectrochemistry was technically plausible due to specific fingerprints of different genus-related microalgae or microorganisms. As several edible flora (EF) contained crucial compositions to human health (e.g., antioxidants- polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids), extracts of EF were very likely to show promising ET capabilities to augment performance of RD and/or BG. That is, such stimulating capabilities were possibly associated to antioxidant characteristics of chemical species in EF. Evaluation of ET-stimulating characteristics of EF could thus be an indicator to prescreen whether candidate species of EF could be feasible antioxidant(s) or ESs for human health. As all lives utilize energy as driving force for sustaining diverse metabolic functioning, bioelectrochemistry is evidently vital to the biological world. As UN report mentioned, bioenergy will be a major portion of renewable energy for the planet’s energy supply by 2050. Therefore, ESs would play a significant role of energy extraction not only for environmental remediation, but also human health.
    VL  - 4
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Author Information
  • Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National I-Lan University, I-Lan, Taiwan

  • Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National I-Lan University, I-Lan, Taiwan

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