Technological Advancement for Biohydrogen Production from Agricultural Waste

The recent interest in the production of biohydrogen (bio-H2) from biomass in laboratory scale has enhanced, while there is a need for subsequent technical advancements in the associated biological processes to make it economically viable. H2 is considered as one of the most competitive substitutes for fossil fuels where biological processes are reflected as the most eco-friendly alternatives for meeting future H2 demands. The bio-H2 from agricultural waste is especially advantageous since these biomass is readily available, biodegradable, inexpensive, and renewable. Such wastes are composed of complex lignocellulosic substrates that can be biologically degraded by the complex microbial consortia where dark fermentation coupled with other biological processes like photofermentation and microbial electrolysis cell under various operating conditions has been proved to be a key technology for H2 production from various agricultural wastes. This study emphasizes on different technological advancements in terms of pre-treatment of biomasses for lignin removal, reactor design optimization, and hybridization of different techniques for H2 production from agri-wastes with a special focus on the role of nanoparticles and biotechnological advancements for process stabilization and enhancement of H2 production. The study has revealed that despite the proven efficiency of the various approaches, a detailed and in-depth research is needed for understanding the cellulosic H2 generation process at a molecular level.