Scientists have discovered an artificial method that can convert CO2 and water into energy-rich fuels such as methane and ethanol.
A new artificial photosynthesis method has been found that could help humanity get closer to using the mechanisms of plants to produce fuel.
The new artificial photosynthesis system has been evaluated to be 10 times more efficient than previous synthetic photosynthesis methods.
Researchers evaluate the new artificial photosynthesis system as being 10 times more effective than previous synthetic methods. (Source: Getty Images).
While natural photosynthesis allows plants to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into carbohydrates using solar energy, the artificial method can convert CO2 and water into energy-rich fuels such as methane and ethanol.
This method could provide an alternative to the fossil fuels currently in use.
“The biggest challenge that many people do not realize is that even nature does not have a solution for the (huge) amount of energy we are using,” said chemist Wenbin Lin from the University of Chicago, one of the authors of the new study.
The natural photosynthesis process is only sufficient for plants to sustain themselves. It cannot provide fuel for human homes, cities, and countries.
For many years, researchers have sought to borrow the photosynthesis mechanism from green plants to produce the chemicals they desire. However, adjusting photosynthesis to meet human needs is not an easy task.
This process is very complex, consisting of two main steps:
- The first is to break down water and CO2.
- The second is to link the atoms together to form carbohydrates.
Lin and his team have aimed to create a photosynthesis system that can produce methane gas, or CH4.
Although burning methane gas leads to greenhouse gas emissions, researchers are also exploring how to use artificial photosynthesis to produce hydrogen fuel, which only emits water vapor when burned.
To achieve this, the team started by synthesizing a metal-organic framework consisting of charged metal atoms linked by organic molecules (which contain carbon).
They submerged these layers of the metal-organic framework in a cobalt solution, an element that can effectively capture electrons and transfer them in chemical reactions.
Then, the researchers did something that had never been attempted before. They added amino acids to the mixture. These amino acids increased efficiency on both sides of the reaction, breaking down CO2, water, and regenerating them into methane gas.
The research team reported their findings in the journal Nature Catalysis on November 10.
Although this new research has not yet achieved enough efficiency to produce sufficient methane gas to meet humanity’s fuel needs, it has opened a new direction for us to address the energy problem in the future.
