Enzymatic Electrosynthesis of Alkanes by Bioelectrocatalytic Decarbonylation of Fatty Aldehydes

Abstract

An enzymatic electrosynthesis system was created by combining an aldehyde deformylating oxygenase (ADO) from cyanobacteria that catalyzes the decarbonylation of fatty aldehydes to alkanes and formic acid with an electrochemical interface. This system is able to produce a range of alkanes (octane to propane) from aldehydes and alcohols. The combination of this bioelectrochemical system with a hydrogenase bioanode yields a H2/heptanal enzymatic fuel cell (EFC) able to simultaneously generate electrical energy with a maximum current density of 25 μA cm−2 at 0.6 V and produce hexane with a faradaic efficiency of 24 %.