NCIE
NCIE
A new method of obtaining fuel. what scientists have achieved and what new technology promises
Automobile fuel was produced from water and carbon dioxide with the help of light. Researchers are using sunlight to create a sustainable liquid fuel. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have succeeded in reproducing the process of photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide and water into fuel.
Unlike environmentally friendly liquid fuel alternatives, it can be used to fuel existing vehicles with internal combustion engines. To produce the fuel, researchers are using artificial leaf technology, a surface that mimics a living structure and uses photosynthesis to produce chemical elements. Artificial leaf technology can also be used to provide energy to living organisms.
The technology is already used for the production of synthetic gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. It is used in the production of fuel, pharmaceuticals, plastics and fertilizers. With the help of an artificial leaf, scientists managed to modernize the production technology of ethanol and propanol, ethyl and propyl alcohol in one step.
For their device, the researchers developed a catalyst based on copper and palladium. By doing so, the surface of the artificial sheet produces more complex chemicals. Previous studies have shown that such alcohols can be used as an alternative fuel for vehicles with internal combustion engines. But existing technologies for the production of spirits require the reuse of agricultural land.
An alternative technology based on photosynthesis can solve this problem. The researchers note that the manufacturing process is still in the testing phase. They are currently working to produce more fuel and scale up production.
