Artificial “Leaf” Converts CO₂ into Valuable Chemicals Using Sunlight

Date: November 4, 2025
Source: University of Cambridge
Published in: Joule

Overview

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have engineered a groundbreaking solar-powered device that mimics natural photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂), water, and sunlight into valuable chemical fuels. This innovative “semi-artificial leaf” offers a sustainable and efficient alternative to fossil fuel-based chemical production, with potential impacts on pharmaceuticals, plastics, and cosmetics manufacturing.

Key Innovation: The Semi-Artificial Leaf

• Hybrid System: Combines light-absorbing organic polymers with bacterial enzymes.
• Functionality: Uses sunlight to drive the conversion of CO₂ and water into formate, a clean chemical fuel.
• Design Advantages:
  • Non-toxic and bio-compatible.
  • Runs continuously without external power or harmful additives.
  • More durable than previous artificial leaf models.

This biohybrid device represents the first use of organic semiconductors as the light-harvesting component in such a system, enhancing efficiency and environmental safety.

Significance for Sustainable Chemistry

• The global chemical industry is responsible for approximately 6% of worldwide carbon emissions, primarily due to its fossil fuel dependency.
• The artificial leaf technology aims to “de-fossilize” chemical manufacturing by providing:
  • Renewable energy-driven synthesis methods.
  • Cleaner production lines without toxic waste or side reactions.
  • A scalable platform to produce various chemical products sustainably.

Professor Erwin Reisner emphasized the enormous opportunity this technology holds for transforming a critical, yet carbon-intensive, sector of the economy.

Technical Breakthroughs

1. Organic Semiconductors:
   • Tunable, non-toxic materials that efficiently harvest sunlight.
2. Enzyme Integration:
   • Incorporates enzymes from sulfate-reducing bacteria to catalyze CO₂ reduction and water splitting.
3. Stability Enhancement:
   • Introduction of carbonic anhydrase enzyme within a porous titania framework allows operation in simple bicarbonate solutions, eliminating unstable chemical buffers.
4. Efficiency and Durability:
   • Achieved near-perfect electron efficiency.
   • Operated continuously for over 24 hours, double the lifespan of earlier devices.

Lead researchers Dr. Celine Yeung and Dr. Yongpeng Liu highlight the intricate material design and enzyme immobilization as key to this performance leap.

Future Outlook

The team is actively exploring:

• Extending device lifespan.
• Broadening the range of chemical products synthesized.
• Scaling the technology for industrial application.

This sustainable artificial leaf platform has the potential to revolutionize green fuels and chemical manufacturing, reducing reliance on fossil feedstocks and lowering carbon footprints.

Supporting Organizations

• Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
• European Research Council
• Swiss National Science Foundation
• Royal Academy of Engineering
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Reference

Yeung, C.W.S., Liu, Y., Vahey, D.M., et al. (2025). Semi-artificial leaf interfacing organic semiconductors and enzymes for solar chemical synthesis. Joule. DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2025.102165

Related Topics

• Solar energy and organic polymers
• Sustainable chemical manufacturing
• Artificial photosynthesis advances
• Green fuels and pharmaceutical synthesis

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