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Description
Microfluidic chips are increasingly used to study microbial processes at the pore scale due to their optical accessibility, low cost, and experimental controllability. However, the diversity of available microfluidic platforms raises critical questions regarding their suitability for investigating anaerobic microbial reactions relevant to subsurface energy storage. In this study, we systematically evaluate three different microfluidic chip types for microbial experiments, using hydrogen-driven sulfate reduction as a representative case study. The sulfate-reducing bacterium Oleidesulfovibrio alaskensis G20, an anaerobe capable of using hydrogen as an electron donor to produce sulfide, was selected as a model organism relevant to underground hydrogen storage [1]. Experiments were conducted in (i) silicon–glass microfluidic chips, (ii) polymer-based ibidi microchips, and (iii) natural-rock micromodels fabricated from sandstone, each offering distinct advantages and limitations.
Silicon microfluidic chips allow operation under elevated pressures (up to 150 bar) and temperatures representative of reservoir conditions [2]. Their gas-impermeable materials facilitate stable anaerobic environments and enable quantitative studies of hydrogen consumption, biofilm-induced bioclogging, wettability changes , and flow alterations through image analysis [3]. However, their highly idealized pore geometries and surface properties differ significantly from natural rocks, potentially biasing interpretations, and the thick glass cover limits in situ Raman spectroscopic analysis. Ibidi microchips operate at atmospheric pressure but are well suited for coupling with confocal microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Using a stage-top incubator under continuous nitrogen flushing, microbial activity, biofilm development, and sulfate reduction processes were monitored under controlled anaerobic and thermal conditions [4]. In contrast, natural-rock micromodels incorporate realistic mineralogy, surface roughness, and grain-scale heterogeneity while preserving pore-scale optical access [5]. Their main limitations include hydrogen leakage due to bonding constraints and potential microbial inhibition caused by epoxy-based sealing materials.
By combining these three complementary microfluidic platforms with optical, confocal, and Raman-based techniques, this work provides a methodological framework for selecting and integrating micromodels to investigate bio-geochemical processes relevant to underground hydrogen storage at the pore scale.
| References | References: 1. Feio, M. J.; Zinkevich, V.; Beech, I. B.; Llobet-Brossa, E.; Eaton, P.; Schmitt, J.; Guezennec, J., Desulfovibrio alaskensis sp. nov., a sulphate-reducing bacterium from a soured oil reservoir. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2004, 54, (Pt 5), 1747–1752. 2. Lysyy, M.; Liu, N.; Solstad, C. M.; Fernø, M. A.; Ersland, G., Microfluidic hydrogen storage capacity and residual trapping during cyclic injections: Implications for underground storage. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2023, 48, (80), 31294–31304. 3. Liu, N.; Kovscek, A. R.; Fernø, M. A.; Dopffel, N., Pore-scale study of microbial hydrogen consumption and wettability alteration during underground hydrogen storage. Frontiers in Energy Research 2023, Volume 11 - 2023. 4. Liu, N.; Ostertag-Henning, C.; Fernø, M. A.; Dopffel, N., Growth on Hydrogen by the Sulfate-Reducing Oleidesulfovibrio alaskensis Induces Biofilm Dispersion and Detachment─Implications for Underground Hydrogen Storage. Environmental Science & Technology 2025, 59, (14), 7095–7105. 5. Cheng, C.; Busch, B.; Von Dollen, M.; Dohrmann, A. B.; Krüger, M.; Hilgers, C., Natural-Rock Micromodels for Investigation of Micro-Processes and Interactions within Real Pores of Geological Materials. 2024, 2024, (1), 1–5. |
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| Country | Norway |
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