Novel photobioreactors based on microalgae immobilized in silica gels obtained by "Chimie douce" for biofuel production

A new generation of photobioreactors for the clean production of green biofuels is described. It is based on the smart combination of living and inanimate, namely microalgae encapsulated in porous silica gels. Such hybrid materials would allow for the controlled exploitation of photosynthesis to assimilate atmospheric CO2 and convert it into useful energy sources by using sunlight. The use of biocompatible routes for the immobilization of cyanobacteria has extended the duration of survival up to 40 weeks.