Artificial Photosynthesis

[clarencebunsen]

I ran across this and thought it was intriguing. Obviously it is not something which could be deployed near term and I don't know if it would even be feasible on an industrial scale but it is an interesting concept.

Artificial Photosynthesis: Solar-Powered Green Chemistry Rehabilitates CO2

A breakthrough in artificial photosynthesis has been achieved with the development of a hybrid system of semiconducting nanowires and bacteria that can capture carbon dioxide emissions before they are vented into the atmosphere and then, powered by solar energy, convert that carbon dioxide into valuable chemical products, including biodegradable plastics, pharmaceutical drugs and liquid fuels.

The system mimics the natural photosynthetic process by which plants use the energy in sunlight to synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water but this artificial photosynthetic system synthesizes the combination of carbon dioxide and water into acetate, the most common building block today for biosynthesis.

By combining biocompatible light-capturing nanowire arrays with select bacterial populations, the new artificial photosynthesis system offers a win/win situation for the environment: solar-powered green chemistry using sequestered carbon dioxide. The system starts with an "artificial forest" of nanowire heterostructures, consisting of silicon and titanium oxide nanowires.

www.science20.com/news_articles/artificial_photosynthesis_solarpowered_green_chemistry_rehabilitates_co2-154871

[dave]

No pun intended, that's energizing.

Where can I get the materials to build the forest of nanowire heterostructures (certainly glad they're hetero these days). I just want a small one I can build in the garage. I'll back my truck up to it, pull off the catalytic converter and turn on the engine. (Won't CO work as well as CO2?)

Then I'll floor it and start pooping out ... excuse me, I meant to say biosynthesizing ... ropes of biodegradable plastic I can weave into welcome mats and sell at the town flea market on Saturdays.