It has become a hot topic recently, technology project It utilizes spinach enzymes to convert carbon dioxide into fertilizer, but this time it’s an even simpler system. In short, it is a technology that produces oxygen and formic acid without resources other than sunlight and water. This dense liquid fuel can be stored or converted to hydrogen. But at its core, it’s not all that new technology. Plants have been doing it for millions of years. In fact, the best explanation for this process is ‘artificial photosynthesis’. And it’s like the holy grail of science because it succeeds in replicating one of nature’s fundamental mechanisms for generating energy. Couldn’t convert.
Fortunately, the University of Cambridge recently announced that it has developed a wireless device that converts carbon dioxide into a usable fuel. The results, published in the journal Nature Energy, show that the new process can efficiently produce clean fuels. This device is a photocatalytic film made from semiconductor powder with low manufacturing cost. Cobalt-based catalysts will be added later, but researchers are already investigating other materials that can produce different types of fuels. The film is then submerged in water containing carbon dioxide. When exposed to sunlight, it releases electrons that combine with carbon dioxide and protons in water to form formic acid.
Early prototypes are 20-square-centimeter units, but their simplicity allows for great scalability. Technically, it’s not difficult to manufacture a few square meters of devices that will become the solar farms of the 21st century. Developers are currently working to improve the energy efficiency of the system. However, they point out that the initial results are much better than expected, with virtually zero waste produced.
It all started with leaves
This is not the first time that a Cambridge University research team has performed artificial photosynthesis. As is often the case in science, new results come from the repetition of previous techniques. In 2019, the same team unveiled a leaf that can produce syngas, a synthetic gas. Although this prototype demonstrated the viability of the basic principle, it required various components and was difficult to produce.
Of course, there are other researchers investigating the potential of artificial photosynthesis. One of them is at the University of Singapore, and a few years ago he presented a prototype that could produce industrial compounds at room temperature. Also, the difference between sunlight and water is that pressure must be used. Additionally, the gases produced were ethylene, a hydrocarbon primarily used to make polyethylene, and numerous plastics.
Initiatives at the Universities of Cambridge and Singapore, as well as other teams around the world, show that this is a promising technology. The plant kingdom may finally hold the key to a new generation of renewable energy. Plants have learned to process and store energy for millions of years, say Cambridge researchers.
sauce: Science Daily, BBC
sauce: Cambridge University
