Artificial photosynthesis makes liquid fuel

Tariq Cain

The University of Illinois chemists have achieved a new breakthrough in artificial photosynthesis, having successfully produced liquid fuels using water, carbon dioxide and visible light by harnessing the strength of nanoparticles.

Green energy technology has been transformed by converting carbon dioxide into more complex molecules - such as propane - one step away from using excess carbon dioxide to store solar energy in chemical bonds for peak energy demand.

In a new study, published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers developed an artificial process that uses the same portion of green light from the visible light spectrum used by plants during natural photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide and water into fuel in the presence of electron-rich nanoparticles that are rich in electrons Works as an assistant.

Artificial photosynthesis
Artificial photosynthesis is a chemical process that attempts to simulate natural photosynthesis, which converts sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and oxygen, and ultimately stores the energy produced in the form of energy-dense glucose. The new process mimics this natural ability through chemical manipulation that produces liquid fuel, without the need for chlorophyll.

Hydrogenation of water to the hydrogen and oxygen and carbon dioxide reduction (conditional on light) is one of the most important scientific challenges in the field of artificial photosynthesis to simulate the process of natural carbon stabilization and conversion of inorganic carbon into organic compounds.

Scientists at the University of Illinois laboratory, under the green light and with the help of ionic liquid and nanoparticles, succeeded in converting carbon dioxide molecules into more complex hydrocarbon fuel molecules.

Golden nanoparticles
In the laboratory of Princeton Jean, professor of chemistry at the University of Illinois, co-author of the study, Songjo Yue, a postdoctoral researcher and first author of the study, used metal catalysts to absorb green light and transfer electrons and protons needed for chemical reactions between carbon dioxide and water, the same natural role as dye Chlorophyll in natural photosynthesis.

"The gold nanoparticles work particularly well as an auxiliary, because their surfaces interact positively with carbon dioxide molecules, which are effective in absorbing light and not decomposing like other metals that can be easily deformed," Jin said.

"There are many ways in which the energy stored in hydrocarbon bonds can be released, but the traditional, easy way of combustion ends up producing more carbon dioxide, which is counterproductive to the concept of harvesting and storing solar energy in the first place, .

The new study goes even further, as carbon dioxide turns into complex hydrocarbon fuel molecules - including propane and methane - which are synthesized by combining green light with gold nanoparticles in ionic liquid.

In addition to propane and methane, this method also enables photosynthesis of ethylene, acetylene and propane, complex molecules that can once store energy in fuel cells.

Feasibility study
The application of large-scale artificial photosynthesis gives us clean, sustainable energy and may one day save energy for our homes and cars simply by simulating what plants and other organisms do.

Although the development of this CO2-to-liquid fuel may be exciting for green energy technology, researchers acknowledge that the recently announced process of photosynthesis still does not negate the efficiency of natural green plants.

"We need to know how to adjust the catalyst to increase the efficiency of chemical reactions," said Jane, "and then we can begin to work hard to determine how to proceed with upgrading the process." Like any unconventional energy technology, there will be many feasibility questions to be answered Also".