Artificial Photosynthesis Breakthrough for Clean Chemistry

A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge and other leading institutions just unveiled an artificial leaf. This unique design can replicate photosynthesis, opening the door for several use cases across leading industries. Here’s how artificial leaves could result in a greener chemical industry and much more.

Industria química

Chemical manufacturers play a crucial role in today’s economy, providing the key ingredients for everything from the fertilizer used to grow your food to medicines, plastics, and even beauty supplies. According to recent informa, the global chemical industry is a massive and complex market valued at +$6.324T in 2025. This value demonstrated a 2.3% growth rate over the previous year. Of course, all of this growth and production comes at a cost to the environment.

Major Polluter

The chemical industry consumes around 10% of all fossil fuels and is responsible for 5-6% of CO₂ emissions globally. Additionally, the industry is responsible for 20% of all freshwater usage. Informes show that over 100M chemicals have been artificially created globally as a direct result of chemical manufacturing.

Harmful chemicals like persistent organic pollutants (POPs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) cause direct harm to the environment and its inhabitants. Worst of all, they remain in the environment for decades and can even combine with other chemicals to create more harmful compounds.

Synthetic Catalyst

For years, engineers have sought out ways to tackle this complex problem. As such, they have begun to break down the industry and evaluate every possible way to de-fossilize it. One strategy focuses on the use of synthetic catalysts or inorganic semiconductors.

Synthetic catalysts are manmade chemicals that are specifically designed to accelerate complex chemical reactions without interfering with their results. Today, these chemicals are used in everything from petroleum cracking to creating plastics. As such, there’s a strong push to replace all non-innocent chemical components like Good’s buffers, electron mediators, and sacrificial reagents.

Current Solutions

Semi-artificial photosynthesis is one approach that continues to gain traction in the industry. This method of accelerating chemical reactions relies on photoelectrochemical biohybrids to accomplish the same task. Utilizing bioengineered enzymes, engineers have been able to enable complex chemical conversions with high selectivity and efficiency.

This strategy has seen several improvements, including being able to manufacture light-harvesting semiconductors and biocatalysts into a single compact device. Using this approach, engineers can optimize certain components to enhance specific capabilities. However, there are still many technological hurdles that have limited adoption in photoelectrochemical (PEC) applications.

Problems Faced with these Approaches

One main issue with today’s semi-artificial photosynthesis devices is that they lack stability. This lack of stability is because its chemical composition changes rapidly, meaning that to keep it stable requires a constant influx of specific chemical compounds, including kinetically fast buffers, which help to offset pH differences. Diffusion mediators are another example, as they transfer charge from light absorbers to biocatalysts.

Industrial catalysts are both expensive and toxic. These factors complicate working with them, resulting in additional costs and precautions. Also, these chemicals are non-innocent, meaning that they contribute to oxidation in metals. When this scenario occurs, it can cause contamination, catalyst inhibition, or poisoning of the entire process.

Artificial Leaves Study

El estudio¹, Semi-artificial leaf, interfacing organic semiconductors and enzymes for solar chemical synthesis, published in the scientific journal Joule, introduces a novel organic photovoltaic (OPV) design that can conduct direct semi-artificial photosynthesis without utilizing harmful catalysts.

Fuente. Joule

It provides a glimpse into a greener future as the process can sustain photosynthesis for up to 1 day. The engineers note how they began with the goal to remove the toxic components from the equation and replace them with organic elements capable of sustaining a clean chemical reaction without creating any unwanted byproducts.

Formate

Their unique semi-artificial organic semiconductor-based photoelectrochemical design synthesizes green H₂ or formate from water and CO₂ with a solar-to-fuel efficiency of 0.6% and a Faradaic yield of 87%. It leverages purpose-built lab-grown enzymes that were selected for their solar-driven H₂ evolution or CO₂-to-formate conversion capabilities.

Specifically, the enzymes share energy with electrodes through a direct electron transfer (DET) mechanism. These sulfate-reducing bacteria naturally separate water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules or convert carbon dioxide into methane.

Uniquely, interactions between the enzymes hydrogenase or formate dehydrogenase and carbonic anhydrase can operate as a solar fuel, and the reaction can be used to create key chemical compounds. Through studying these compounds, engineers were able to formulate the optimal design, taking into account nanoscale interactions.

Semi-Artificial Leaf

Notably, the result was a semi-artificial leaf design that mimics photosynthesis without using non-innocent buffers, mediators, or sacrificial agents. Notably, organic semiconductors enabled the team to achieve higher efficiency because the light-absorbing polymers and bacterial enzymes work together to eliminate the need for buffers or catalysts.

Artificial Leaves Test

The engineers conducted several tests to demonstrate their concept. The team used Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to track electronic signatures for each abiotic-biotic interface. This strategy provided valuable insight into the interfacial charge transfer mechanisms, enabling them to enhance the process.

Artificial Leaves Test Results

The results of their tests showed that their artificial leaf design could produce high currents efficiently. Specifically, the artificial leaf was capable of near-perfect energy conversion during its reactions, achieving optimal photovoltages and photocurrent densities.

Additionally, the scientist noted that the device ran for a full 24 hours, outpacing its closest competitor by double. This work showcased the added stability the semi-organic strategy provided. Specifically, the leaf showed that it could sustain stable H₂ production or selective CO₂-to-formate conversion as needed.

Artificial Leaves Benefits

There are many benefits that this work brings to the industry. For one, this sustainable approach will help to reduce pollution by providing a green alternative that’s equally efficient and productive. Additionally, the system was designed to be easily integrated into established industrial chemical processes in the coming years.

Estabilidad

One of the biggest advantages of this approach is that it provides a new level of stability for artificial photosynthesis processes. Before this study, artificial photosynthesis was limited to 12 hours max, and with lots of upkeep. Now, scientists can sustain a full day of operations without the need to add extra additives, saving costs, time, and the environment.

Non-Toxic

All previous artificial leaf designs required the use of hazardous chemicals. Specifically, toxic light absorbers were required. This new approach provides more sustainability alongside greater flexibility in terms of design freedom. As such, it’s likely to see added use cases.

Artificial Leaf Applications and Commercialization Timeline

There are many applications for the discoveries made in the Artificial Leaves Study. This technology will help to revolutionize the chemical sector by defossilizing its core tasks. Additionally, it will enable companies to make more durable and powerful solar devices, alongside improving the manufacturing process of crucial chemical components used in the pharmaceutical, polymer, and fragrance industries.

Artificial Leaves Timeline

It could be 5-10 years before this technology makes its way to the public. The industrial sector is eager to find a way to hit its net-zero carbon goals. As such, this technology will likely receive strong support from both the government, industrial, and academic circles.

Artificial Leaves Researchers

This Artificial Leaves Study was led by University of Cambridge Professor Erwin Reisner and Dr. Celine Yeung. They received assistance from Yongpeng Liu, David M. Vahey, Rita R. Manuel, and Inês A.C. Pereira. The study was funded by the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research,  the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK Research and Innovation, the European Research Council, and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Artificial Leaves Future

The future of the artificial photosynthesis study looks bright. The team behind the work has spent years perfecting the science. They have created several artificial leaves in the past, but none with the stability of their latest development. As such, you can expect to see this team continue their research, seeking to optimize every iteration, ushering in a new era of eco-friendly artificial leaves.

Investing in Chemical Manufacturing

The chemical manufacturing sector is a fast-growing industry that accounts for trillions in commerce. Today, several chemical manufacturers have been in operation for decades, providing the world with the crucial building blocks needed to continue to thrive. Here’s one company that has built a reputation for quality and stability.

Ecolab Inc.

Ecolab Inc. was founded in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1923 as Economics Laboratory, Inc. The company’s founder, Merritt J. “M.J.” Osborn, wanted to supply the growing hospitality industry with high-quality carpet cleaning solutions. This desire led to the company’s first product, a carpet cleaner called Absorbit.