An artificial leaf to combat climate change: the ingenious device, in addition to capturing carbon dioxide like natural leaves, uses the trapped gas to produce alternative fuel without the use of fossil energy sources. The work was conducted by a research group led by the University of Waterloo (Belgium)
An artificial leaf to combat climate change: the ingenious device, in addition to capturing carbon dioxide like natural leaves, uses the trapped gas to produce alternative fuel without the use of fossil energy sources. The work was conducted by a research team led by the University of Waterloo (Canada).
Unfortunately, we have less and less leaves, and scientists run for cover, creating artificial ones. It is not the first example, but this not only captures carbon dioxide, a known greenhouse gas, but at the same time produces a fuel without using fossil energy sources, polluting as well as really obsolete.
As in previous research, this too was inspired by nature, and in particular by how plants use the energy of sunlight to transform carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose, in the wonderful and complex process known as chlorophyll photosynthesis. And with a very useful extra step.
"We call it an artificial leaf because it mimics real leaves and the photosynthesis process - in fact Yimin Wu explains, who led the research - One leaf produces glucose and oxygen. We produce methanol and oxygen ".
The production of methanol from carbon dioxide, one of the main causes of global warming, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce a substitute for the fossil fuels that create them. Two beautiful birds with one brilliant stone, we could say.
The key to the process is a low cost optimized red powder called cuprous oxide. Specially designed, the powder is produced by a chemical reaction of glucose, copper acetate, sodium hydroxide and sodium dodecyl sulfate in water heated to a particular temperature.
The powder then triggers another chemical reaction when carbon dioxide is blown in the presence of suitably directed white light through a solar simulator. A completely innovative process that the research group intends to patent so that it is attractive to companies wishing to invest in this technology.
Photo: University of Waterloo
Oxygen is then obtained, as in photosynthesis, by converting the carbon dioxide in the water-powder solution into methanol, which is then collected as it evaporates when the solution is heated. A one-hour chemical reaction capable of producing the engineered red powder, which is the chemical key that turns carbon dioxide into fuel.
“I am completely enthusiastic about the potential of this discovery - exclaims Wu - Climate change is a urgent problem and in this way we can contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions while creating an alternative fuel ”.
The work was published on Nature Energy.
Read also:
- Created photovoltaic leaf that produces fuel from sunlight
- The Holy Grail of photovoltaics: the artificial solar leaf that heats a house
Roberta de carolis
