Application of immobilized hydrogenase to h2 storage in concentrated solutions of methyl viologen.

It has been found that immobilized cells ofC. pasteurianum possessing hydrogenase activity efficiently catalyze reversible reduction of concentrated (up to 0.5M) solutions of methyl viologen with H2. A 0.5M aqueous solution of methyl viologen dissolves 240 times as much H2 as pure water under the same pressure of hydrogen. The experimentally obtained levels of methyl viologen reduction and H2 evolution are in satisfactory agreement with theoretical calculations. The potential of concentrated solutions of methyl viologen containing immobilized hydrogenase as a H2 storage medium is discussed.