New Zealand’s University of Canterbury and the City University of Hong Kong have launched a research project to develop a synthetic leaf to use or consume carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to a Wednesday UC press release. The new project builds on recent advancements by UC scientists in replicating key structures in leaves that are responsible for photosynthesis using titanium dioxide (TiO2).
“The key to success is to employ a robust, reliable method to produce metallic nanoparticles, with controllable formulation and size, to decorate the TiO2 leaves via photodeposition. The proposed research provides a unique opportunity to utilise the properties of both TiO2 and leaves in artificial photosynthesis to convert CO2 into useful products or fuel,” UC chemical and process engineer Alex Yip said in the release.
The research will be funded by the Royal Society of New Zealand Catalyst Fund.
