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Scientists develop a process o...Photosynthesis is the natural process by which plants and trees absorb sunlight and use carbon dioxide to produce glucose and release oxygen as a byproduct. But scientists working at the University of Illinois have produced liquefiable fuels using water, carbon dioxide, and visible light through artificial photosynthesis. Liquid fuels are much more efficient than their gaseous or solid fuel counterparts since it is easier to store and transport them. Moreover, they are also more energy efficient. The team used gold particles as a catalyst.
The artificial process developed by the scientists uses a mechanism that is similar to that used by plants. However, plants and trees do it in a much more efficient manner and the technique developed still has a long way to go before it can be scaled and commercialized. The gold utilized in this procedure absorbs the green portion of the visible spectrum of light and undergoes a reaction to transfer electrons to fuel the reaction that yields fuels like propane. Deriving usable fuel from excess CO2 seems like a pipe dream, especially in light of the current state of the environment and the prevailing greenhouse effect, which is destroying the ecosystem. However, the current methods of utilizing energy locked in such fuels are by combustion, which releases more carbon.
The implications of commercializing and scaling such processes are enormous, but the level of efficiency in photosynthesis achieved in nature is still too high and we may not be able to mimic that process completely.