School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, West Main Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK.
Chem Soc Rev. 2024 Mar 4;53(5):2258-2263. doi: 10.1039/d3cs00723e.
Exploration for commercially viable natural hydrogen accumulations within the Earth's crust, here compared to 'foraging' for wild food, holds promise. However, a potentially more effective strategy lies in the artificial generation of hydrogen in natural underground reservoirs, akin to 'farming'. Both biotic and abiotic processes can be employed, converting introduced or indigenous components, gases, and nutrients into hydrogen. Through studying natural hydrogen-generating reactions, we can discern pathways for optimized engineering. Some reactions may be inherently slow, allowing for a 'seed and leave' methodology, where sites are infused with gases, nutrients, and specific bacterial strains, then left to gradually produce hydrogen. However, other reactions could offer quicker outcomes to harvest hydrogen. A crucial element of this strategy is our innovative concept of 'X' components-ranging from trace minerals to bioengineered microbes. These designed components enhance biotic and/or abiotic reactions and prove vital in accelerating hydrogen production. Drawing parallels with our ancestors' transition from hunter-gathering to agriculture, we propose a similar paradigm shift in the pursuit of hydrogen energy. As we transition towards a hydrogen-centric energy landscape, the amalgamation of geochemistry, advanced biology, and engineering emerges as a beacon, signalling a pathway towards a sustainable and transformative energy future.
探索地壳中具有商业可行性的天然氢气聚集，与“采集”野生食物类似，具有前景。然而，一种更有效的策略是在天然地下储层中人工生成氢气，类似于“耕种”。生物和非生物过程都可以被利用，将引入的或本地的成分、气体和营养物质转化为氢气。通过研究自然产生氢气的反应，我们可以发现优化工程的途径。一些反应可能天生较慢，可以采用“播种和离开”的方法，在这些方法中，将气体、营养物质和特定的细菌菌株注入到场地中，然后让其逐渐产生氢气。然而，其他反应可以更快地产生氢气。该策略的一个关键要素是我们的创新“X”成分概念，这些成分包括从痕量矿物质到生物工程微生物。这些设计的成分可以增强生物和/或非生物反应，在加速氢气生产方面至关重要。我们可以将这个策略与我们的祖先从狩猎采集到农业的过渡进行类比，我们提出在追求氢能方面也需要类似的范式转变。随着我们向以氢气为中心的能源格局转变，地球化学、先进生物学和工程学的融合成为一个灯塔，为我们指明了一条通往可持续和变革性未来的能源道路。
