Advanced bioH(2) and bioCH(4) production with cobalt-doped magnetic carbon

In this work, a novel cobalt-doped magnetic carbon (CDMC) was prepared to boost hydrogen (H(2)) and methane (CH(4)) generation. A one-pot approach was employed to produce H(2) and CH(4) with an incompletely heat-treated mixed culture. A moderate amount of CDMC promoted biogas evolution, while excess CDMC eroded both H(2) and CH(4) productivity. The CDMC (600 mg L(−1)) group achieved the highest biogas yields of 176 mL H(2) per g glucose and 358 mL CH(4) per g glucose, which were higher than those (102 mL H(2) per g glucose and 288 mL CH(4) per g glucose) found in the control group without CDMC. The mechanisms of H(2) and CH(4) production via the one-pot approach with CDMC were speculated to be as follows: CDMC provided beneficial sites and two elements (Co and Fe) for culture growth and boosted electron transfer, facilitating glucose degradation and conversion. Supplementation of carbon matrix composites and trace elements in biogas production has been shown to be an efficient strategy.