Scientists have developed an environmentally friendly fuel from solar energy that could revolutionize the automotive industry.
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The technology converts carbon dioxide and water into a liquid fuel that can then be fed into a vehicle’s engine.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have harnessed the power of photosynthesis to convert CO2, water and sunlight into multi-carbon fuels.
These fuels have high energy densities and are easy to store or transport, according to the scientists, whose work is published in Nature Energy.
“Sunlighting the artificial leaves and turning carbon dioxide and water into liquid fuel is a chemical feat,” said Dr. Motiar Rahaman, first author of the new study.
“Usually when you try to turn CO2 into another chemical you almost always end up with carbon monoxide or syngas, but here we were able to make a practical liquid fuel simply by using the sun’s energy,” he added on the university’s website.
The researchers achieved this feat by developing a copper and palladium-based catalyst that was optimized to allow the artificial leaf to produce more complex chemicals.
Unlike fossil fuels, these solar fuels produce no carbon emissions and are fully renewable.
Although the technology is still being tested in the lab, the researchers said their “artificial leaves” are an important step in the transition to a fossil fuel-based economy.
More work is needed before the device can be mass-produced and produce large quantities of fuel.