Climate crisis breakthrough? Artificial photosynthesis "a step nearer"
The key step, which is carried out continuously in plants, is the breakdown, using light, of water into its Hydrogen and Oxygen components: This has long been a goal of chemists, but has so far eluded them.
In layman's terms, the problem is energy: Visible light "can only contribute a limited amount of energy towards a chemical reaction. This energy is absorbed by electrons involved in the reaction." Photosnthesis requires that several electrons involved in the reaction are energised, and is referred to as a "multiple electron system".
The challenge has been to recreate these multiple electron systems in the lab, but so far no one has succeeded in creating one with sufficient energy to power photosynthesis.
The promise of Carbon nanotubes, is that their structure is such that for each 32 carbon atoms in its fabric, it can 'accept' (i.e. absorb) a single electron: this means that even a tiny nanotube could potentially absorb millions of electrons at a time, and could potentially act as a 'receiver molecule' for artificial photosynthesis.
Artificial photosynthesis promises an efficient way of producing Hydrogen, which could potentially provide a clean fuel for vehicles: all that would be needed is water. Although a long way off, this breakthrough satisfies a vital requirement of any future models.
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- rwylie
- added this
- added July 11, 2008
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This will undoubtedly fuse with current solar technology.
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- openyoureyes
- 12 months ago
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Don't get me wrong, I love the intent here, but I get the feeling that we (humans) are going to try to recreate and increase natural processes to reverse global warming, which will end up causing unforseen consequences (i.e. we started global warming in the first place by increasing processes that output CO2 etc.).
Now if we keep all of this in the realm of just reducing our current emmissions and not trying to speed up the reversal process, then I think the Earth will be able to balance and stablize itself perfectly. I just don't want to see us underestimate the Earth's natural processes and do something that looks like help, but will hurt us in the long run. -
This could be part of the reversal process: Photosynthesis uses up C02 in the process of making Hydrogen.
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Photosynthesis? More like "great for Earth-esis"
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Discoveries like this make me think; what will the future be like? What will things be like when science has an answer for every question?
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- thekingbeyond
- 12 months ago
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You might think about proof reading <<the breakdown, using light, of water into its Carbon and Hydrogen components>>. Water (H2O) does not contain Carbon. Without some CO2 in the atmosphere photosynthesis would not work.
Hydrogen is very difficult to store in a moving vehicle. Carbon nano technology makes more sense to produce inexpensive photoelectric cells to generate electricity, http://www.nanosolar.com/blog3/ . Then carbon nano technology is also being used to create better battery anode and cathode material to store electricity on vehicles powered by electric motors, http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=6159.php .
Scientists already know about many varieties of bacteria that already free hydrogen without photosynthesis. Bottom line, freeing hydrogen gas is a waste of time to fuel vehicles.
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Yes that's correct, I should make an ammendment:
Where it reads: "the breakdown, using light, of water into its Carbon and Hydrogen components"
I'd change the actual text but that makes it drop down a few places and it's nice being #1...
If only we could all be as smart as jadamone and know that water is also known as H20...you learn something new every day!
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Artificial photosynthesis was discovered and invented by the Swiss twins Andreas & Toby Meyer over twenty years ago, several years before they created their company (see link). At the time they invented this, they had immense difficulties in getting industries interested in their invention - it was in the late eighties and few people were concerned by global warming or interested in alternative sustainable and non-polluting sources of energy.
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- Vierotchka
- 12 months ago
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This may seem great at first glance, but it really isn't solving our problems with the climate and our natural resources. Its just extending the amount of time until we need to find an honest soultion in an alternate fuel source.
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I'm afraid they they might take this a little too far.
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- clintisdakoolest
- 12 months ago
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I think the world is too focused on these "quick and painless" solutions for our own ignorance. I agree with tonybart. We should just lower our emissions, and try to change the way we live to be more eco-friendly. Since this crisis started, all i've heard about were scientists and others messing up the natural order of things to try and patch things up. You want to stop global warming? Then stop cutting down more trees than you plant to build flimsy houses that are too high priced andfall at every simple gust of wind.....
