A Bionic Leaf That Turns Sunlight Into Liquid Fuel

                Scientists have developed a bionic leaf that uses solar energy to split water molecules and hydrogen-eating bacteria to produce liquid fuels, that surpasses the efficiency of photosynthesis seen in fastest growing plants. Before, people were using artificial photosynthesis for water-splitting, but this is a true A-to-Z system, and we’ve gone well over the efficiency of photosynthesis in nature. While the study shows the system can be used to generate usable fuels, its potential does not end there.

                Dubbed “bionic leaf 2.0,” the new system builds on previous work by researchers – though was capable of using solar energy to make isopropanol – faced a number of challenges. Chief among those challenges was the fact that the catalyst used to produce hydrogen – a nickel molybdenum zinc alloy – also created reactive oxygen species, molecules that attacked and destroyed the bacteria’s DNA.

                To avoid that problem, researchers were forced to run the system at abnormally high voltages, resulting in reduced efficiency. They designed a new cobalt-phosphorus alloy catalyst, which they showed does not make reactive oxygen species. That allowed them to lower the voltage, and that led to a dramatic increase in efficiency. The system can now convert solar energy to biomass with 10% efficiency, far above the one percent seen in the fastest growing plants. In addition, researchers were able to expand the portfolio of the system to include isobutanol and isopentanol.