"Nature has been our inspiration," says Peidong Yang, a lead researcher at Berkeley Lab. Scientists in the US have moved closer to harnessing solar energy to convert carbon dioxide into liquid fuel. This breakthrough mimics a green leaf's productivity, marking a significant step in renewable energy.
Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in collaboration with international partners, have developed a self-contained carbon-carbon (C2) production system. The system combines copper and perovskite, a material used in solar panels. This innovative system converts CO2 into C2 molecules using only sunlight.
The artificial leaf, about the size of a postage stamp, uses perovskite to absorb light, mimicking chlorophyll. Copper electrocatalysts, resembling tiny flowers, regulate the process, inspired by natural enzymes. The C2 chemicals produced are vital for manufacturing plastics and fuels for vehicles that cannot yet run on batteries, such as airplanes.
This advancement, published in Nature Catalysis, is part of the Liquid Sunlight Alliance (LiSA). LiSA is an Energy Innovation Hub funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Yang's team aims to enhance the system's efficiency and scale up the artificial leaf to increase the solution's scalability.