A research team led by Austrian chemist Erwin Reisner has developed an artificial leaf that can convert water and CO₂ directly into a liquid energy carrier (e-fuel). For this he uses sunlight. According to the researchers, the efficiency is still modest at the moment.
E-fuels are controversial for several reasons. For example, a lot of electricity is needed to produce them as a synthetic fuel from water and carbon dioxide. There are also high conversion losses. In nature, plants make an energy carrier (sugar) with their leaves during photosynthesis from carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water with the help of sunlight. Based on this model, the Austrian chemist Erwin Reisner started work on a corresponding technology at the University of Cambridge in 2012.
First in the water
As a result, he finally presented an artificial sheet several millimeters thick, several square centimeters in size, which consisted of numerous layers and was completely submerged in water. Using sunlight, this system produced a gas mixture that currently comes from fossil fuels worldwide. It is used to produce fuel, plastics and fertilizers.
Reisner and his team have now succeeded in further developing this art magazine. It can now not only be applied to flexible films, but can also be used directly to generate more complex chemicals from water and CO₂ using solar energy. “We developed and optimized a copper and palladium-based catalyst so that the artificial leaf can produce a mixture of ethanol and n-propanol,” Reisner said. Both alcohols are high energy density fuels that are easy to transport and store.
The artificial leaf must be directly linked to a CO₂ emission source, for example in industry. The scientists speak of a ‘proof of concept’ and emphasize that the efficiency is still modest. “But we showed what these ‘artificial leaves’ are capable of – at room temperature, normal pressure and natural sunlight,” says Reisner. In the future, the aim is to make even better use of sunlight and to generate more fuel.
Source: Krone
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