The Developed New Method of Chlorella vulgaris Concentration Using Electrolytic Hydrogen Bubbles and Its Successful Application for the Synthesis of Food, Biologically Active Additives, Synthetic Biofuels, Biopolymers and Other Products

Abstract

Under favorable conditions, Chlorella vulgaris produces polar lipids (for example, phospholipids, widely used as food and biologically active additives, and under unfavorable or limited growth conditions Chlorella vulgaris produces non-polar lipids are widely used in the production of biofuels, biopolymers and other products. However, for the synthesis of phospholipids, widely used as food and biologically active additives, as well as for the production of non-polar lipids, widely used in the production of biofuels, biopolymers, a large amount of high-quality Chlorella vulgaris biomass with reduced water content is required. Unfortunately, in existing concentration methods, microalgae concentrates have high water content (80–90%), which is a serious problem in the production of biologically active additives, synthetic biofuels, biopolymers and other products. The article presents just such a developed new method for obtaining a high-quality, anhydrous concentrate from the natural environment with rapidly proliferating Chlorella vulgaris cells, using electrolytic hydrogen bubbles, formed during the electrolysis of an aqueous solution with Chlorella vulgaris cells, and reveals the mechanism for using of the obtained concentrate for the synthesis of widely used polar lipids (phospholipids) as food and biologically active additives, as well as non-polar lipids, widely used in the production of biofuels, biopolymers and other products. Electrolytic hydrogen bubbles, formed during the electrolysis of an aqueous solution with Chlorella vulgaris cells, have two unique properties: microdispersion and a negative charge on their surface, which allows them to form strong complexes in the act of flotation: electrolytic hydrogen bubbles + Chlorella vulgaris cells that float to the surface of an aqueous solution due to their increased volume compared to the individual components, which ensures the successful completion of the flotation-concentration process.