In order to increase the hydrogen yield from glucose, hydrogen production by immobilized Rhodopseudomonas faecalis RLD-53 using soluble metabolites from ethanol fermentation bacteria Ethanoligenens harbinense B49 was investigated. The soluble metabolites from dark-fermentation mainly were ethanol and acetate, which could be further utilized for photo-hydrogen production. Hydrogen production by B49 was noticeably affected by the glucose and phosphate buffer concentration. The maximum hydrogen yield (1.83 mol H(2)/mol glucose) was obtained at 9 g/l glucose. In addition, we found that the ratio of acetate/ethanol (A/E) increased with increasing phosphate buffer concentration, which is favorable to further photo-hydrogen production. The total hydrogen yield during dark- and photo-fermentation reached its Maximum Value (6.32 mol H(2)/mol glucose) using 9 g/l glucose, 30 mmol/l phosphate buffers and immobilized R. faecalis RLD-53. Results demonstrated that the combination of dark- and photo-fermentation was an effective and efficient process to improve hydrogen yield from a single substrate. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.