Researchers create renewable catalyst from palladium and bacteria
Scientists in Illinois have developed a renewable fuels catalyst made from the metal palladium and common bacteria. The materials can be recovered from waste sources such as discarded electronics, catalytic converters and processed sewerage, and in tests the catalyst was used to refine bio-oil made from algae. The new method uses the bacteria as a 'biologic scaffolding' for the palladium catalyst in place of commercially-produced carbon particles, which are more expensive. The findings open the possibility of a cheaper and more sustainable process for refining renewable and other fuels.

In Illinois, fuels that are produced from nonpetroleum-based biological sources may become greener and more affordable, thanks to research performed at the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute that examines the use of a processing catalyst made from palladium metal and bacteria. Published in the journal Fuel, their findings point to a cheaper, more environmentally friendly and renewable catalyst for processing that uses common bacteria and the metal palladium, which can be recovered from waste sources such as discarded electronics, catalytic converters, street sweeper dust and processed sewage.

The bio-oil produced in the lab from algae contains impurities like nitrogen and oxygen, but treating it with palladium as a catalyst during processing helps remove those impurities to meet clean-air requirements, Sharma said.

For the palladium to do its job, the bio-oil needs to flow past it during processing. Previous studies have shown that allowing the oil flow through porous carbon particles infused with palladium is an effective method, but those carbon particles are not cheap