Bio-energy conversion with carbon capture and utilization (BECCU): integrated biomass fermentation and chemo-catalytic CO2 hydrogenation for bioethanol and formic acid co-production

We present an integrated process for in situ CO2 hydrogenation during bioethanol production combining bio- and chemo-catalysis. The biphasic catalytic system comprises an aqueous whole-cell fermentation broth and a tailored organometallic catalyst in an organic phase. Glucose is converted to ethanol and the by-product CO2 is simultaneously upgraded to formic acid in a single reactor unit. Under optimized conditions, 26% of the generated CO2 was hydrogenated directly.