Artificial Photosynthesis Breakthrough: Fast Molecular Catalyzer
Date: 16.4.2012
Researchers have managed to construct a molecular catalyzer that can oxidize water to oxygen very rapidly. Speed has been the main problem, the bottleneck, when it comes to creating perfect artificial photosynthesis.
But now, together with research colleagues, he has imitated natural photosynthesis and created a record-fast molecular catalyzer. The speed with which natural photosynthesis occurs is about 100 to 400 turnovers per seconds. The KTH have now reached over 300 turnovers per seconds with their artificial photosynthesis.
This speed makes it possible in the future to create large-scale facilities for producing hydrogen in the Sahara, where there's an abundance of sunshine. Or to attain much more efficient solar energy conversion to electricity, combining this with traditional solar cells, than is possible today.
