UK scientists look to create hydrogen from artificial photosynthesis
1 min read
Researchers in the UK have embarked on an £800,000 project to artificially replicate photosynthesis - the process by which plants transform sunlight into energy to help them grow.
The energy created will be used to create hydrogen - a zero emission fuel which can power vehicles or be transformed into electricity.
It is thought that this method of harnessing the sun's energy will be far more efficient than existing solar converters.
The research will be undertaken by the University of East Anglia (UEA), with help from the Universities of Leeds and Cambridge. It is being funded by the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Lead researcher Professor Julea Butt, from UEA's school of Chemistry and school of Biological Sciences, said: "Reserves of fossil fuels are dwindling, and fuel prices are rising, so it's is really vital that we look to renewable energy supplies.
"We will build a system for artificial photosynthesis by placing tiny solar panels on microbes. These will harness sunlight and drive the production of hydrogen, from which the technologies to release energy on demand are well advanced."
The researchers are hopeful that their photocatalysts will prove versatile, and that with slight modification they will be able to harness solar energy for the manufacture of carbon based fuels, drugs and fine chemicals.
