Nanoparticles in Biological Hydrogen Production: An Overview

Biological hydrogen (H(2)) production enhancement through the use of nanoparticles (NPs) supplement in the media is being recognized as a promising approach. The NPs, including those of metal and metal oxides have shown a significant improvement in the BHP. A number of organisms as pure or mixed cultures can produce H(2) in presence of NPs from pure sugars and biowaste as a feed. However, their H(2) production efficiencies have been found to vary significantly with the type of NPs and their concentration. In this review article, the potential role of NPs in the enhancement of H(2) production has been assessed in dark- and photo-fermentative organisms using sugars and biowaste materials as feed. Further, the integrative approaches for commercial applications of NPs in BHP have been discussed.