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Scientists at the University of Cambridge have successfully produced clean gas using an artificial leaf.
The scientists created the leaf, which produces syngas, or synthetic gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and some traces of carbon dioxide. Syngas is used to produce fuel, plastic, and fertilizer, to name a few. Sustainable production of syngas is crucial for the establishment of a chemical and fuel industry that is likewise sustainable.
The artificial leaf mimics photosynthesis, a process wherein plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into food. To harvest sunlight, two light absorbers are placed on the leaf. They work in tandem with a catalyst made from the chemical element cobalt. The device then needs to be submerged in water, where one light absorber will use the catalyst to make oxygen, while the other converts carbon dioxide and water into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. This process produces syngas.
According to the scientists, the light absorbers can be used even with little sunlight, like during rainy or overcast days. Because of this, the innovation can be used anywhere and anytime in the world.
The scientists also claim that their device is sustainable. Unlike other artificial leaf devices, their light absorbers are composed of materials that ease the conversion of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. Their device’s catalyst is also low-cost and produces carbon monoxide more efficiently than others.
Currently, the team is looking into ways to produce a sustainable liquid fuel that can be an alternative for petrol. Since syngas is a building block of liquid fuel, the next step for the scientists is to create fuel directly from carbon dioxide and water, instead of producing syngas first and then converting it.