A review on the conversion of volatile fatty acids to polyhydroxyalkanoates using dark fermentative effluents from hydrogen production

The production of bio/microbial-based polymers, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)from volatile fatty acids (VFAs)of dark fermentative effluents in the bio-H2 reactor is being paid attention, owing to their commercial demand, applications and as carbon as well as energy storage source. Since, they are the cheap precursors for such valuable renewable biopolymers which all possess the properties; those are analogous to the petro-derived plastics. Several studies were stated, related to the consumption of both individual and mixed VFAs for the potential PHAs production. Their biodegradability nature makes them extremely desirable alternative to fossil-derived synthetic polymers. In this regard, this review summarizes the use of bio-based PHAs production via both microbial and biochemical pathways using dark fermentative bio-H2 production from waste streams as feedstock. Furthermore, this review deals the characteristics, synthesis and production of the bio-based PHAs along with their co-polymers and applications to give an outlook on future research. - 2019 Elsevier LtdThe authors acknowledge the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea Government (Ministry of Science & ICT) (No. NRF-2017R1E1A1A01073690 ). The authors are also thankful to the Ministry of Science and Technology-Taiwan Research Grant (107-2113-M-037-007-MY2), and also supported by the Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University , Taiwan from -The Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project- by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan.Scopu