Surfactant‐Induced hydrogen production in cyanobacteria

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Abstract
Addition of Tween 85 to aqueous suspensions of Anabaena variabilis induced photosynthetic evolution of hydrogen over a time span of several weeks: As much as 148 nmol H2/h · mg dry weight was produced in the first week by a suspension containing 4.2 mg dry weight of cells and 77 mM Tween 85. The chemical structure of Tween 85 was a necessary prerequisite for inducing hydrogen production, as compounds such as Tween 20, 60, and 80 had a quite different effect. There was a coupling between photosynthetic oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution: Hydrogen evolution started to be effective only when oxygen evolution subdued. The presence of heterocysts in A. variabilis was also required for the Tween‐induced hydrogen production. Based on these observations, possible mechanisms for the photosynthetic effect of Tween 85 are advanced and discussed. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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