American and English scientists have developed tiny nano copper ‘flowers’ that bloom on artificial leaves to make clean energy and fuel using just sunlight.
The global project by Cambridge and Berkeley developed a practical way to make hydrocarbons—molecules made of carbon and hydrogen—powered solely by the sun. A totally unique approach.
By combining a light absorbing ‘leaf’ made from a high-efficiency solar cell material called perovskite, with a copper nano-flower catalyst, they were able to convert carbon dioxide into useful more complex hydrocarbons.
Almost all hydrocarbons currently stem from fossil fuels, but the method developed by the Cambridge-Berkeley team results in clean chemicals and fuels made from CO2, water and glycerol—a common organic compound—without any additional carbon emissions.
The research team solved this energy challenge by developing a system that processes glycerol – typically considered a waste product – alongside CO2. This combination made the reaction 200 times more efficient than earlier approaches.
The team expects to apply their platform to even more complex organic reactions, opening doors for innovation in sustainable chemical production. With continued improvements, this research could accelerate the transition to a circular, carbon-neutral economy.
