Researchers create artificial tree leaf that converts water and CO2 into fuel

Leaves of trees and plants remove CO2 from the air under the influence of sunlight. They convert this into oxygen, among other things. Researchers at the British University have been able to recreate this process in an artificial leaf. The leaf absorbs water and CO2 and converts this into oxygen, hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Perovskite and cobalt are used to absorb light. Perovskite is also used in solar panels and cobalt is an important raw material for smartphones. The hydrogen and carbon monoxide produced by the artificial leaf can be used to make syngas. This is an important ingredient for plastics, fertilizers and fuels such as diesel. Thanks to the artificial leaf, the production of hydrogen and carbon monoxide does not generate new CO2 emissions. CO2 has already been removed from the air for production. This allows the CO2 footprint of syngas to be reduced.