Solar spectral conversion for improving the photosynthetic activity in algae reactors

Wondraczek L, Batentschuk M, Schmidt MA, Borchardt R, Scheiner S, Seemann B, Schweizer P, Brabec C (2013)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2013

Journal

Nature Communications Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Book Volume: 4

Article Number: 2047

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3047

Abstract

Sustainable biomass production is expected to be one of the major supporting pillars for future energy supply, as well as for renewable material provision. Algal beds represent an exciting resource for biomass/biofuel, fine chemicals and CO storage. Similar to other solar energy harvesting techniques, the efficiency of algal photosynthesis depends on the spectral overlap between solar irradiation and chloroplast absorption. Here we demonstrate that spectral conversion can be employed to significantly improve biomass growth and oxygen production rate in closed-cycle algae reactors. For this purpose, we adapt a photoluminescent phosphor of the type Ca SrEuS, which enables efficient conversion of the green part of the incoming spectrum into red light to better match the Q peak of chlorophyll b. Integration of a Ca SrEuS backlight converter into a flat panel algae reactor filled with Haematococcus pluvialis as a model species results in significantly increased photosynthetic activity and algae reproduction rate. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Authors with CRIS profile

Lothar Wondraczek
Miroslaw Batentschuk Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET) Simon Scheiner Professur für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Polymerwerkstoffe) Benjamin Seemann
Peter Schweizer Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Christoph Brabec Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)

Additional Organisation(s)

Interdisziplinäres Zentrum, Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM) Graduiertenkolleg 1896/2 In situ Mikroskopie mit Elektronen, Röntgenstrahlen und Rastersonden

Involved external institutions

Leibniz-Institut für Photonische Technologien e.V. DE Germany (DE) Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Wondraczek, L., Batentschuk, M., Schmidt, M.A., Borchardt, R., Scheiner, S., Seemann, B.,... Brabec, C. (2013). Solar spectral conversion for improving the photosynthetic activity in algae reactors. Nature Communications, 4. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3047

MLA:

Wondraczek, Lothar, et al. "Solar spectral conversion for improving the photosynthetic activity in algae reactors." Nature Communications 4 (2013).

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