Abstract  This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the correlations between butanol (BtOH) tolerance of solvent-producing bacteria (SPB) and the performance of fermentative butanol production. The toxicity potency of BtOH was revealed to suggest the feasibility of butanol formation with a Clostridial species-dominated bacterial consortium. When the mixed culture was grown on the optimal medium comprising 60 g/L glucose, 0.5 g/L FeSO4 center dot 7H(2)O and 5.13 g/L yeast extract, the maximal tolerant butanol concentration, butanol production, hydrogen production and glucose consumption were ca. 16 g/L, 10.64 +/- 0.60 g/L, 4153 +/- 815 mL/L and 54.99 +/- 1.92 g/L, respectively. Moreover, almost all the dose-response curves representing toxicity potency of butanol on microbial characteristics was nearly identical in order of magnitude. Thus, although generations of by-products during butanol fermentation are interactive, the maintenance of microbial growth capability still plays a crucial role to control the performance of butanol production. The quantitative findings in toxicological terms directly suggest that the BtOH toxicity seemed to be inevitable during BtOH production. In addition, butanol inhibition could be reversibly attenuated by removal of butanol to make it below the critical level (ca. 7.83-9.52 g/L or EC50). C 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract  Currently, the predominant microbially produced biofuel is starch- or sugar-derived ethanol. However, ethanol is not an ideal fuel molecule, and lignocellulosic feedstocks are considerably more abundant than both starch and sugar. Thus, many improvements in both the feedstock and the fuel have been proposed. In this paper, we examine the prospects for bioproduction of four second-generation biofuels (n-butanol, 2-butanol, terpenoids, or higher lipids) from four feedstocks (sugars and starches, lignocellulosics, syngas, and atmospheric carbon dioxide). The principal obstacle to commercial production of these fuels is that microbial catalysts of robust yields, productivities, and titers have yet to be developed. Suitable microbial hosts for biofuel production must tolerate process stresses such as end-product toxicity and tolerance to fermentation inhibitors in order to achieve high yields and titers. We tested seven fast-growing host organisms for tolerance to production stresses, and discuss several metabolic engineering strategies for the improvement of biofuels production.

Abstract  BACKGROUND: Butanol fermentation is product limiting owing to butanol toxicity to microbial cells. Butanol (boiling point: 118 degrees C) boils at a higher temperature than water (boiling point: 100 degrees C) and application of vacuum technology to integrated acetonebutanolethanol (ABE) fermentation and recovery may have been ignored because of direct comparison of boiling points of water and butanol. This research investigated simultaneous ABE fermentation using Clostridium beijerinckii 8052 and in situ butanol recovery by vacuum. To facilitate ABE mass transfer and recovery at fermentation temperature, batch fermentation was conducted in triplicate at 35 degrees C in a 14 L bioreactor connected in series with a condensation system and vacuum pump. RESULTS: Concentration of ABE in the recovered stream was greater than that in the fermentation broth (from 15.7 g L-1 up to 33 g L-1). Integration of the vacuum with the bioreactor resulted in enhanced ABE productivity by 100% and complete utilization of glucose as opposed to a significant amount of residual glucose in the control batch fermentation. CONCLUSION: This research demonstrated that vacuum fermentation technology can be used for in situ butanol recovery during ABE fermentation and that C. beijerinckii 8052 can tolerate vacuum conditions, with no negative effect on cell growth and ABE production. (C) 2011 Society of Chemical Industry

Abstract  This article reviews bioconversion of plant materials such as wheat straw (WS), corn stover (CS), barley straw (BS), and switchgrass (SG) to butanol and process technology that converts these materials into this superior biofuel. Successful fermentation of low-value WS makes butanol fermentation economically attractive. Simultaneous hydrolysis, fermentation, and product recovery has been successfully performed in a single reactor using WS and C. beijerinckii P260. Research on the production of butanol from other agricultural residues including CS, BS, and SG has steadily progressed. Use of several product- recovery technologies such as liquid-liquid extraction, gas stripping, perstraction, and pervaporation has been successfully applied in laboratory-scale bioreactors. It is expected that these recovery technologies will play a major role in commercialization of this fermentation. By employing in line/in situ product-recovery systems during fermentation, butanol toxicity to the culture has been drastically reduced. In addition to the use of low-cost plant materials for the production of this biofuel, process integration is expected to play a major role in the economics of this product. (C) 2008 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Abstract  Fermentation of dilute sulfuric acid barley straw hydrolysate (BSH; undiluted/untreated) by Clostridium beijerinckii P260 resulted in the production of 7.09 gL(-1) ABE (acetone butanol ethanol), an ABE yield of 0.33, and productivity of 0.10 gL(-1) h(-1). This level of ABE is much less than that observed in a control experiment (21.06 gL(-1)) where glucose (initial concentration 60 gL(-1)) was used as a substrate. In the control experiment, an ABE yield of 0.41 and productivity of 0.31 gL(-1) h(-1) were observed. This comparison suggested that BSH is toxic to the culture. To reduce this potential toxicity effect, BSH was treated with lime [Ca(OH)(2)] followed by fermentation. The treated BSH resulted in a successful fermentation and ABE concentration of 26.64 was achieved. This was superior to both glucose and untreated BSH (initial sugar 60 gL(-1)) fermentations. In this fermentation, an ABE yield of 0.43 and productivity of 0.39 gL(-1) h(-1) (390% of untreated/undiluted BSH) was obtained. It should be noted that using lime treated BSH, a specific productivity of 0.55 h(-1) was obtained as compared to 0.12 h(-1) in the control fermentation suggesting that more carbon was directed to product formation. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Abstract  An experimental study on the removal of the mixtures of n-butyl acetate (n-BA), p-xylene (p-XY) and ammonia gas (NH(3)) from an air stream was performed in a laboratory scale three-segment biofilter over a period of 4 months. The biofilter was packed with the mixture of mature pig compost, forest soil and a packing material made of polyethylene (PE) which was used in the moving bed biological reactor (MBBR) for treating wastewater. n-BA elimination capacities of 157 and 150 g m(-3) h(-1) were obtained at empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 60 and 30 s, respectively, corresponding to removal efficiency of approximate 100 and 96%. An approximate 100% removal of NH3 could be achieved with inlet concentration varying from 0.043 to 0.15 g m(-3) at EBRT of 30 and 90 s. For p-XY, the maximal inlet concentration (0.51 g m(-3)) with removal efficiency of 100% at EBRT of 60 s was a little higher than 0.4 g m(-3) at EBRT of 90 s due to NH(3) feeding. The pH of the packing media varied in the neutral range (6.5-7.9) during the operation period. The results indicated that the mixtures of n-BA, p-XY and NH(3) were successfully eliminated simultaneously in this biolilter. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract  High-pressure multi-hole injectors for direct-injection spark-ignition engines offer some great benefits in terms of fuel atomisation, as well as flexibility in fuel targeting by selection of the number and angle of the nozzle's holes. However, very few data exist for injector-body temperatures representative of engine operation with various fuels, especially at low-load conditions with early injection strategies that can also lead to phase change due to fuel flash boiling upon injection. The challenge is further complicated by the predicted fuel stocks which will include a significant bio-derived component presenting the requirement to manage fuel flexibility. The physical/chemical properties of bio-components, like various types of alcohols, can differ markedly from gasoline and it is important to study their effects in direct comparison to liquid hydrocarbons. This work outlines results from an optical investigation (high-speed imaging and droplet sizing) into the effects of fuel properties, temperature and pressure conditions on the extent of spray formation. Specifically, gasoline, iso-octane, n-pentane, ethanol and n-butanol were tested at 20, 50, 90 and 120 degrees C injector body temperatures for ambient pressures of 0.5 bar and 1.0 bar in order to simulate early homogeneous injection strategies for part-load and wide open throttle engine operation; some test were also carried out at 180 degrees C, 0.3 bar. Droplet sizing was also performed for gasoline, isooctane and n-pentane using Phase Doler and Laser Diffraction techniques in order to understand the effects of low-and high-volatility components on the atomisation of the multi-component gasoline. The boiling points and distillation curves of all fuels, their vapour pressures and bubble points, as well as density, viscosity and surface tension were obtained and the Reynolds, Weber and Ohnesorge numbers were considered in the analysis. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract  The advancement of microbial processes for the production of renewable liquid fuels has increased with concerns about the current fuel economy. The development of advanced biofuels in particular has risen to address some of the shortcomings of ethanol. These advanced fuels have chemical properties similar to petroleum-based liquid fuels, thus removing the need for engine modification or infrastructure redesign. While the productivity and titers of each of these processes remains to be improved, progress in synthetic biology has provided tools to guide the engineering of these processes through present and future challenges.

Abstract  Herein, we investigate the dissolution behavior of 193-nm chemically amplified resist in different organic solvents at a mechanistic level. We previously reported the effect of solvent developers on the negative tone development (NTD) process in both dry and immersion lithography, and demonstrated various resist performance parameters such as photospeed, critical dimension uniformity, and dissolution rate contrast are strongly affected by chemical nature of the organic developer. We further pursued the investigation by examining the dependence of resist dissolution behavior on their solubility properties using Hansen Solubility Parameter (HSP). The effects of monomer structure, and resist composition, and the effects of different developer chemistry on dissolution behaviors were evaluated by using laser interferometry and quartz crystal microbalance. We have found that dissolution behaviors of methacrylate based resists are significantly different in different organic solvent developers such as OSD (TM)-1000 Developer* and n-butyl acetate (nBA), affecting their resist performance. This study reveals that understanding the resist dissolution behavior helps to design robust NTD materials for higher resolution imaging.

Abstract  Five different processes were investigated to produce acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) from wheat straw WS) by Clostridium beijerinckii P260. The five processes were fermentation of pretreated WS (Process I), separate hydrolysis and fermentation of WS to ABE without removing sediments (Process II), simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation of WS without agitation (Process III), simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation with additional sugar supplementation (Process M, and simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation with agitation by gas stripping (Process V). During the five processes, 9.36, 13.12, 11.93, 17.92, and 21.42 g L-1 ABE was produced, respectively. Processes I-V resulted in productivities of 0.19, 0.14, 0.27, 0.19, and 0.31 g L-1 h(-1), respectively. it should be noted that Process V resulted in the highest productivity (0.31 g L-1 h(-1)). In the control experiment (using glucose), an ABE productivity of 0.30 g L-1 h(-1) was achieved. These results suggest that simultaneous hydrolysis of WS to sugars and. fermentation to butanol/ABE is an attractive option as compared with more expensive glucose to ABE fermentation. Further development of enzymes for WS hydrolysis with optimum characteristics similar to fermentation would make conversion of WS to butanol/ABE even more attractive. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Abstract  Since advances in the ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation process in recent Years have led to significant increases in its productivity and yields, the production of butanol and its use in motor vehicles have become an option worth evaluating. This study estimates the potential life-cycle energy and emission effects associated with using bio-butanol as a transportation fuel. It employs a well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis tool: the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model. The estimates of life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are based on an Aspen Plus(R) simulation for a corn-to-butanol production process. which describes grain processing, fermentation, and product separation. Bio-butanol-related WTW activities include corn farming, corn transportation, butanol production, butanol transportation, and vehicle operation. hi this study, we also analyzed the bio-acetone that is coproduced with bio-butanol as an alternative to petroleum-based acetone. We then compared the results for bio-butanol with those of conventional gasoline. Our study shows that driving vehicles fueled with corn-based butanol produced by the current ABE fermentation process could result in substantial fossil energy savings (39%-56%) and avoid large percentage of the GHG emission burden, Yielding a 32%-48% reduction relative to using conventional gasoline. On energy basis, a bushel of corn produces less liquid fuel from the ABE process than that from the corn ethanol dry mill process. The coproduction of a significant portion of acetone from the current ABE fermentation presents a challenge. A market analysis of acetone, as well as research and development on robust alternative technologies and processes that minimize acetone while increase the butanol yield. should be conducted.

Abstract  Butanol is a very competitive renewable biofuel for use in internal combustion engines given its many advantages. In this review, the properties of butanol are compared with the conventional gasoline, diesel fuel, and some widely used biofuels, i.e. methanol, ethanol, biodiesel. The comparison of fuel properties indicates that n-butanol has the potential to overcome the drawbacks brought by low-carbon alcohols or biodiesel. Then, the development of butanol production is reviewed and various methods for increasing fermentative butanol production are introduced in detailed, i.e. metabolic engineering of the Clostridia, advanced fermentation technique. The most costive part of the fermentation is the substrate, so methods involved in renewed substrates are also mentioned. Next, the applications of butanol as a biofuel are summarized from three aspects: (1) fundamental combustion experiments in some well-defined burning reactors; (2) a substitute for gasoline in spark ignition engine; (3) a substitute for diesel fuel in compression ignition engine. These studies demonstrate that butanol, as a potential second generation biofuel, is a better alternative for the gasoline or diesel fuel, from the viewpoints of combustion characteristics, engine performance, and exhaust emissions. However, butanol has not been intensively studied when compared to ethanol or biodiesel, for which considerable numbers of reports are available. Finally, some challenges and future research directions are outlined in the last section of this review.

Abstract  The addition of a magnetic composite membrane to a traditional nickel electrocatalyst was employed to increase the methanol and n-butanol electrocatalysis in alkaline media.

Abstract  The effect of substrate (glucose) concentration on the stability and yield of a continuous fermentative process that produces hydrogen was studied. Four anaerobic fluidized bed reactors (AFBRs) were operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) from 1 to 8 h and an influent glucose concentration from 2 to 25 g L(-1). The reactors were inoculated with thermally pre-treated anaerobic sludge and operated at a temperature of 30 °C with an influent pH around 5.5 and an effluent pH of about 3.5. The AFBRs with a HRT of 2 h and a feed strength of 2, 4, and 10 g L(-1) showed satisfactory H(2) production performance, but the reactor fed with 25 g L(-1) of glucose did not. The highest hydrogen yield value was obtained in the reactor with a glucose concentration of 2 g L(-1) when it was operated at a HRT of 2 h. The maximum hydrogen production rate value was achieved in the reactor with a HRT of 1 h and a feed strength of 10 g L(-1). The AFBRs operated with glucose concentrations of 2 and 4 g L(-1) produced greater amounts of acetic and butyric acids, while AFBRs with higher glucose concentrations produced a greater amount of solvents.

Abstract  AIM: To develop a new formulation with hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose and Shellac coating for extended and selective delivery of butyrate in the ileo-caecal region and colon.

METHODS: One-gram sodium butyrate coated tablets containing 13C-butyrate were orally administered to 12 healthy subjects and 12 Crohn's disease patients and the rate of 13C-butyrate absorption was evaluated by 13CO2 breath test analysis for eight hours. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (500 mg) was co-administered as a biomarker of oro-ileal transit time to determine also the site of release and absorption of butyrate by the time of its serum maximum concentration.

RESULTS: The coated formulation delayed the 13C-butyrate release by 2-3 h with respect to the uncoated tablets. Sodium butyrate was delivered in the intestine of all subjects and a more variable transit time was found in Crohn's disease patients than in healthy subjects. The variability of the peak 13CO2 in the kinetic release of butyrate was explained by the inter-subject variability in transit time. However, the coating chosen ensured an efficient release of the active compound even in patients with a short transit time.

CONCLUSION: Simultaneous evaluation of breath 13CO2 and tauroursodeoxycholic acid concentration-time curves has shown that the new oral formulation consistently releases sodium butyrate in the ileo-cecal region and colon both in healthy subjects and Crohn's disease patients with variable intestinal transit time. This formulation may be of therapeutic value in inflammatory bowel disease patients due to the appropriate release of the active compound.

Abstract  The purpose of the study was to recover butanol from the effluent of the hydrogen-producing bioreactor containing acetate, butyrate, and carbohydrate. The butanol production by Clostridium beijerinckii NRRL B592 was evaluated under both unsterilized and sterilized conditions for examining the potential of butanol production for the practical application. Sucrose of 10 g/L and butyrate of 2 g/L coupled with acetate buffer were used to mimic the effluent. Sucrose was completely consumed in the both unsterilized and sterilized conditions during acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation. However, the results illustrate that the carbohydrate consumption rate in the unsterilized condition was higher than that in the sterilized condition. The maximum butanol concentrations of 3,500 and 3,750 mg/L were achieved in the sterilized and unsterilized conditions, respectively. Meanwhile, it was found that the acetate and the butyrate concentrations of 600 and 1,500 mg/L, and 300 and 1,000 mg/L were ingested to yield butanol in the sterilized condition and in the unsterilized condition, respectively. The results concluded that high levels of acetate and butyrate could eliminate the interference of other microbial populations, resulting in the enrichment of C. beijerinckii NRRL B592 in the fermentor. The butanol production by C. beijerinckii NRRL B592 could be, therefore, produced from the effluent of the hydrogen-producing bioreactor. It promised that the microbial butanol production is one of attractive bioprocesses to recover energy from wastes.

Abstract  An attractive approach to improving cold flow properties of biodiesel is to transesterify fatty acid methyl esters with higher alcohols such as n-butanol or with branched alcohols such as isopropanol. In this study, the reaction kinetics of Amberlyst-15 catalyzed transesterification of methyl stearate, a model biodiesel compound, with n-butanol have been examined. After identifying conditions to minimize both internal and external mass transfer resistances, the effects of catalyst loading, temperature, and the mole ratio of n-butanol to methyl stearate in the transesterification reaction were investigated. Experimental data were fit to a pseudo-homogeneous, activity-based kinetic model with inclusion of etherification reactions to appropriately characterize the transesterification system.

Abstract  PURPOSE: To characterize the physicochemical properties of drug-loaded oil-in-water (o/w) and water-in-oil (w/o) Brij 97-based microemulsions in comparison to their blank counterparts and to investigate the influence of microemulsion type on in vitro skin permeation of model hydrophobic drugs and their hydrophilic salts.

METHODS: The microemulsion systems were composed of isopropyl palmitate (IPP), water and a 2:1 w/w mixture of Brij 97 and 1-butanol. The samples were characterized by visual appearance, pH, refractive index, electrical conductivity, viscosity and determination of the state of water and IPP in the formulations using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Transdermal flux of lidocaine, tetracaine, dibucaine and their respective hydrochloride salts through heat-separated human epidermis was investigated in vitro using modified Franz diffusion cells.

RESULTS: The physicochemical properties of drug-loaded microemulsions and their blank counterparts were generally similar; however, slight changes in some physicochemical properties (apparent pH and conductivity) were observed due to the intrinsic properties of the drugs. The o/w microemulsions resulted in the highest flux of lidocaine, tetracaine and dibucaine as compared to the other formulations with in the same group of drugs.

CONCLUSIONS: The characterization results showed that incorporation of the model drugs into the microemulsions did not change the microemulsion type. The permeation data exhibited that the nature of the microemulsions was a crucial parameter for transdermal drug delivery. The o/w microemulsions containing hydrophobic drugs provided the highest skin permeation enhancement. In addition, skin permeation was depended on the molecular weight of the model drugs.

Abstract  Anaerobic treatment of undiluted cow dung (15% total solids), so-called dry fermentation, produced hydrogen (743 ml-H(2)/kg-cow dung) at an optimum temperature of 60 degrees C, with butyrate and acetate formation. The hydrogen production was inhibited by the addition of NH(4)(+) in a dose-dependent manner. A bacterium with similarity to Clostridium cellulosi was detected in the fermented dung by a 16S rDNA analysis.

Abstract  Butyrate degradation for hydrogen production under conditions suppressing methanogenesis was evaluated in continuously fed-tank reactors operated at 55 degrees C and started up with digested manure as inoculum. This study shows that the reaction of butyrate degradation to acetate and hydrogen could happen when gas sparging was applied. Gas sparging was very important for reducing hydrogen partial pressure and made the reaction thermodynamically possible. Almost no hydrogen or methane (methane production was prevented by the addition of 2-bromoethane-sulfonic acid) was detected, indicating that the H2 produced from butyrate oxidation was consumed in a subsequent step. It was found by isotope experiments that hydrogen produced from butyrate degradation reacted immediately with CO2 to form acetate via homoacetogenesis. When CO2/HCO(3-) was not provided in the system, butyrate degradation was no longer possible and butyrate-degrading cultures were washed out. It was furthermore found that the microorganisms responsible for homoacetogenesis were likely present in normal anaerobic environments, such as biogas reactors.

Abstract  Upgrading bio-oil by addition reactions across olefins represents a route to refine bio-oil to combustible and stable oxygen-containing fuels. Development and application of highly active strong solid acid catalysts with good hydrothermal stability has become a key determinant for success, because bio-oil's complexity includes large amounts of water. Temperatures of 120°C or more are needed for satisfactory kinetics. Batch upgrading of a model bio-oil (phenol/water/acetic acid/acetaldehyde/hydroxyacetone/d-glucose/2-hydroxymethylfuran) over five water-tolerant solid acid catalysts (Dowex50WX2, Amberlyst15, Amberlyst36, silica sulfuric acid (SSA) and Cs(2.5)H(0.5)PW(12)O(40) supported on K-10 clay (Cs(2.5)/K-10, 30wt.%)) with 1-octene/1-butanol were studied at 120°C/3h. SSA, , exhibited the highest water tolerance and activity. Upgrading using olefin/1-butanol is complex, involving many simultaneous competing esterification, etherification, olefin hydration, phenol alkylation, aldol condensation, sugar dehydration etc. reactions.

Abstract  Lipase-displaying whole cells appear to be efficient biocatalysts because of their low preparation costs and simple recycling procedure. The combined utilization of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) and Rhizomucor miehei lipase (RML), separately displayed on Pichia pastoris whole cells, to produce biodiesel in co-solvent media was investigated. A response surface methodology incorporating a D-optimal design was employed to obtain the optimum reaction conditions for methyl ester (ME) synthesis. The synergistic effect of the two displayed lipases and the use of tert-butanol and isooctane as the co-solvent media were found to significantly improve the transesterification reaction. Scaled-up reactions using various types of feedstock were carried out in a 0.5-l stirred reactor under optimum conditions, affording ME yields over 90% in 12h. Moreover, the ME yields remained above 85% after 20 repeated batch cycles. In conclusion, this biocatalyst affords a promising route to efficient biodiesel production.

Abstract  In this study, the production of ethyl butyrate was investigated by using immobilized lipase enzyme in shake flasks. In order to determine optimum conditions for the production, response surface methodology was used. The model indicated the optimum conditions for maximum conversion (9.1%) at the 0.31 M substrate concentration, acid- alcohol molar ratio of 0.49, immobilized enzyme 25% (w/v) at 35°C, for 3 hours which were in good agreement with the experimental value. At the end of the 55 hours conversion was obtained as 61.3%. When Na(2)HPO(4) was used in reaction medium conversion increased to 90.3% for 55 hours.

Abstract  The study was focused on developing a continuous method to produce an alcohol mixture suitable to be used as a gasoline supplement. The immobilized column reactor with wood pulp fibers was successfully used for the continuous production of butanol and isopropanol using Clostridium beijerinckii DSM 6423. A sugar mixture (glucose, mannose, galactose, arabinose and xylose) representing lignocellulose hydrolysate was used as a substrate for the production of solvents. The effect of dilution rate on solvent production was studied during continuous operation. The maximum total solvent concentration of 11.99 g/l was obtained at a dilution rate of 0.16 h(-1). The maximum solvent productivity (5.58 g/l h) was obtained at a dilution rate of 1.5 h(-1). The maximum solvent yield of 0.45 g/g from sugar mixture was observed at 0.25 h(-1). The system will be further used for the solvent production using wood hydrolysate as a substrate.