By Zofia Tubin '23
We are all aware of how climate change and the use of fossil fuels are affecting our
environment by altering ecosystems, and causing massive catastrophes.
But what if one told you that there is an artificial “leaf” that only uses sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, and that could replace fossil fuels as the most widely-used gas?
Researchers at the University of Cambridge found that the artificial leaf produces a gas, called syngas, which does not release any additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and provides green energy. “You may not have heard of syngas itself but every day, you consume products that were created using it. Being able to produce it sustainably would be
a critical step in closing the global carbon cycle and establishing a sustainable chemical and fuel industry,” said Professor Erwin Reisner from Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry.
Photosynthesis was the inspiration for this device, created by Reisner and his colleagues. In fact, it absorbs light and produces oxygen once placed in water. As an added bonus, the device works even if there is a minimum of sunlight.
Innumerable sustainable solutions are being developed globally as the fight for climate justice continues, and this “leaf” could become a revolutionary technological development to contribute to end the reliance on fossil fuels.
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