Biological Conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Volatile Organic Compounds

Biological processes for the carbon dioxide conversion into high value-added biomolecules are of interest to the chemical, energy, food, and pharmaceutical industries. A closer look has been directed mainly at microalgae-based processes and products. Depending on the cultivation systems, species, and other engineering aspects, microalgae produce a variety of metabolites, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These molecules are originated from distinct chemical classes such as alcohol, aldehydes, hydrocarbons, ketones, terpenes, esters, and sulfurized compounds. However, it is crucial to know how these compounds are formed to target specific commercial applications. Besides, recent studies are demonstrating the use of volatiles as environmental indicators and also addressing the technical aspects that could be used to recover them. In this sense, the objective of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive view of the biological conversion of carbon dioxide into VOCs. Furthermore, the characteristics of microalgae and photosynthetic metabolism, the VOC biosynthesis mechanism, the culture systems, the environmental implications, and the insights on industrial applications were presented and discussed.