Mimicking nature is not easy, but new insights by researchers at JCAP, partially through a user project at the Molecular Foundry, could help create a viable artificial system of photosynthesis.
One of the major challenges for scientists working to create systems that efficiently convert sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into fuel is finding materials that can do the work while also surviving the corrosive conditions that are part of the process. Existing methods to determine material stability have been hit and miss, but the Berkeley Lab-led research team has applied a combination of experimental and theoretical tools to rigorously determine how well a material will weather the harsh environments present in these systems.
