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An international team of scientists has made a major breakthrough for the future of sustainable fuel. They have taken this important step by copying the methods of some of the cleanest energy producers on the planet: plants. Scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Ruhr University in Bochum have discovered a new technique that mimics the natural process of photosynthesis in plants and could produce hydrogen, an extremely clean energy source
In an article published in the Energy of nature Scientific journal, the team of scientists explained its proof of principle method to divide the water molecules into individual atoms of hydrogen and oxygen they are composed using solar light . The technique reflects photosynthesis, the natural process in which plants divide water molecules when they convert sunlight into energy for nourishment. This realization has profound implications – Erwin Reisner, lead author of the study, told Newsweek that "the conversion of solar energy to produce fuels and renewable chemicals – the synthesis of solar fuel – is an important strategy. to fuel our society after the fossil. era."
Artificial photosynthesis is not revolutionary in itself: the techniques to achieve this effect have been around for decades. What makes this discovery so important is its partially artificial and partly natural approach. This is the first time that an artificial photosynthesis method is specifically designed to produce renewable energy.
Fully artificial photosynthesis is a complex process that requires the use of problematic, difficult to use and problematic catalytic materials. Many of these catalysts are either too expensive, toxic or simply ineffective. Therefore, even if they can operate in the laboratory, they are not realistic for large-scale use or for commercial applications. In comparison, naturally occurring enzymes are abundant and effective, making them the ideal solution for the synthesis of sustainable solar fuels.
The team from the University of Cambridge and the Ruhr University in Bochum mainly uses hydrogenase, an enzyme that has been dormant in seaweed for millions of years. Hydrogenase combined with synthetic pigments to cause sunlight to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen without assistance. As Reisner explained, this team is trying to "build a new line of research by combining the best of both natural and man-made worlds and take very effective and abundant biological catalysts, such as enzymes, and combine them with synthetic materials synthesis of solar fuel. "
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Natural photosynthesis, while extremely effective, gives way to many improvements. Plants produce only the minimum amount of electricity needed to survive, taking the path of least resistance. In fact, they only produce about 1 or 2% of the energy that they are potentially capable of converting and storing. With this in mind, the Cambridge-Ruht team focused on the more energy-efficient processes that plants have progressively eliminated over billions of years of evolution. This is what led scientists to pursue the long dormancy hydrogenase enzyme. Their semi-artificial prototype, the first and certainly not the last of its kind, is already able to use much more of the solar spectrum.
This groundbreaking research is only the beginning of a much longer process towards commercialization. The new process is just a prototype that opens the door to a new era of hydrogen fuel and photosynthesis research that will lead to even greater breakthroughs in clean and sustainable fuel.
This line of inquiry is only one of the many tracks explored by the many scientists around the world who are dedicated to finding solutions to the imminent end of fossil fuels and the pressing need for energy. cleaner. Just a month ago, a team of Chinese scientists made an exciting breakthrough in producing solar energy by discovering a way to increase the scale of liquid solar fuel synthesis. At the same time, Attis Industries is partnering with the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology to develop an efficient conversion of carbon dioxide and water into hydrocarbons designed to be compatible with today's infrastructure. traditional fossil fuels in the 2030s.
By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com
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