Novel high-efficient butanol production from butyrate by non-growing Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4 (ATCC 13564) with methyl viologen.

Non-growing Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4 hardly produced butanol from only butyrate. As adding glucose to the medium, butyrate utilization and butanol production were stimulated. Addition of 0.1 mM methyl viologen as electron carrier resulted in the highest yield of butanol of 0.671 mol/mol to butyrate and glucose.