ASU and Argonne National Laboratory's "relay" improves the photosynthetic efficiency of "artificial leaves"

ASU and Argonne National Laboratory's "relay" improves the photosynthetic efficiency of "artificial leaves" Scientists designed an "artificial...

The "artificial leaves" designed by scientists can simulate photosynthesis and split water into hydrogen and oxygen for human use. Image source: Google Images

> Scientists have been committed to exploring cheap, environmentally friendly, and efficient ways to produce energy. One of the most promising methods is to use hydrogen to produce energy. Plants can easily harness sunlight and convert enough of the material into energy-rich molecules. The "artificial leaves" designed by scientists can simulate photosynthesis and use solar energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen at a lower cost and with higher efficiency for human use.

Artificial leaves are mainly made of glass wafers. The leaves are lined with tiny water pipes, which allow water to reach the leaves for evaporation. The entire device is driven by a central stem, which contains a metal piece connected to the circuit that acts as a capacitor. As the water flows through the leaves, it periodically encounters air bubbles. Because water and air have different electrical properties, each encounter between water and air bubbles creates a small electrical current. "Artificial leaves" can also convert light energy into electrical energy to achieve truly "zero emissions."

However, photosynthesis is generally carried out in two steps: first converting solar energy into chemical energy, which is a faster process; then using chemical energy to decompose water into oxygen and hydrogen, but this step is a slower reaction. Since these two processes occur one after another, when "artificial leaves" perform photosynthesis, the above two processes cannot be well connected and produce reverse reactions, resulting in low photosynthesis efficiency.

In order to solve this problem, researchers from Arizona State University in the United States collaborated with Argonne National Laboratory to carefully study the process of natural photosynthesis in nature, and recently developed a bionic "relay" to slow down the reverse reaction. , thereby improving the efficiency of photosynthesis of "artificial leaves", and using advanced technical means to analyze the electromagnetic environment of the internal charges and protons of this bionic "relay" at the atomic level, which not only improved the efficiency of photosynthesis of "artificial leaves", but also mastered the characteristics of natural photosynthesis. Relevant research results were published in Nature Chemistry.