Water-gas shift reaction catalyzed by redox enzymes on conducting graphite platelets.

Journal article

The water-gas shift (WGS) reaction (CO + H(2)O <==> CO(2) + H(2)) is of major industrial significance in the production of H(2) from hydrocarbon sources. High temperatures are required, typically in excess of 200 degrees C, using d-metal catalysts on oxide supports. In our study the WGS process is separated into two half-cell electrochemical reactions (H(+) reduction and CO oxidation), catalyzed by enzymes attached to a conducting particle. The H(+) reduction reaction is catalyzed by a hydrogenase, Hyd-2, from Escherichia coli, and CO oxidation is catalyzed by a carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH I) from Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans. This results in a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst with a turnover frequency, at 30 degrees C, of at least 2.5 s(-1) per minimum functional unit (a CODH/Hyd-2 pair) which is comparable to conventional high-temperature catalysts.

Authors: Lazarus, O; Woolerton, T; Parkin, A; Lukey, M; Reisner, E

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Journal of the American Chemical Society
• Volume: 131
• Issue: 40
• Pages: 14154-14155
• Publication date: 2009-10-01
• DOI: 10.1021/ja905797w
• EISSN: 1520-5126
• ISSN: 0002-7863
• Language: English
• Keywords: Carbon Dioxide; Water; Oxidoreductases; Hydrogen; Graphite; Aldehyde Oxidoreductases; Escherichia coli; Thermoanaerobacterium; Catalysis; Multienzyme Complexes; Carbon Monoxide; Gases; Oxidation-Reduction