Bio-assisted process for conversion of carbon dioxide to fuel precursors

A process for synthesizing a semiconductor biogenic-hybrid catalyst, said process comprising:

• (a) selectively culturing electroactive microorganisms selected from the group consisting of Enterobacter aerogenes MTCC 25016, Serratia sp. MTCC 25017, Shewanella sp. MTCC 25020, Alcaligenes sp. MTCC 25022, Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 1036, Ochrobactrum anthropi ATCC 49188, Ochrobactrum anthropi MTCC 9026, and Pseudomonas alcaliphila MTCC 6724;
• (b) mixing at least a salt, at least one 2D material, and an electron facilitator, in presence of a surface directing agent to obtain a semiconducting hybrid solution;
• (c) adding the semiconducting hybrid solution of step (b) to the electroactive microorganism culture of step (a) to obtain an initiator culture;
• (d) providing counter ion precursor to the initiator culture of step (c);
• and
• (e) separating the semiconductor biogenic-hybrid catalyst from the culture;
• wherein the salt is selected from the group consisting of CuCl2, CdCl2, ZnCl2, ZnBr2, GaCl3, InCl3, FeCl2, FeCl3, SnCl2, SnCl4, Cd(NO3)2, Ga(NO3)3, Ln(NO3)3, Zn(NO3)2, Fe(NO3)3, CdCO3, CdSO4, FeSO4, ZnSO4, Fe2O3, CdO, Ga2O3, Ln2O3, ZnO, SnO, SnO2, Fe(OH)3, Zn(OH)2, FeOOH, FeO(OH), Cd(CH3COO)2, Iron perchlorate, Copper perchlorate, Copper EDTA complex, Nickel alkylamine complex, Iron piperidine complex, Cadmium pyridine complex, Iron bipyridine salt and Iron acac complex;
• wherein the 2D material is selected from the group consisting of graphene, porous graphene, gC3N4, single walled CNT, MoS2, WS2, SnS2, phosphorene, graphene nanoparticles, TiC, and borophene;
• wherein the electron facilitator is selected from the group consisting of neutral red, azo-dyes, Iron porphyrin complex, Schiff base complex, multi walled CNT, Cd (II) or Cu (II) imidazole complex, and Ruthenium complex;
• wherein the surface directing agent is selected from the group consisting of Tween, sodium lauryl sulfate, p-172, Lauryl dimethyl amine oxide, Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, Polyethoxylated alcohol, Polyoxyethylene sorbitan Octoxynol (Triton X100), N, N-dimethyldodecyl amine-N-oxide, Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, Polyoxyl 10 lauryl ether, Brij 721, sodium deoxycholate, sodium cholate, Polyoxyl castor oil (Cremophor), Nonylphenol ethoxylate (Tergitol), Cyclodextrins, Lecithin, and Methylbenzethonium chloride (Hyamine);
• and
• wherein the counter ion precursor is a gaseous material or an organosulfur compound.