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This artificial leaf turns pollution into power

Summary: Cambridge researchers have engineered a solar-powered “artificial leaf” that mimics photosynthesis to make valuable chemicals sustainably. Their biohybrid device combines organic semiconductors and enzymes to convert CO₂ and sunlight into formate with high efficiency. It’s durable, non-toxic, and runs without fossil fuels paving the way for a greener chemical industry.

“If we’re going to build a circular, sustainable economy, the chemical industry is a big, complex problem that we must address,” said Professor Erwin Reisner from Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, who led the research. “We’ve got to come up with ways to de-fossilize this important sector, which produces so many important products we all need. It’s a huge opportunity if we can get it right.”

Now, a team led by the University of Cambridge is exploring innovative approaches that could eventually “de-fossilize” this vital industry.

Their breakthrough involves a hybrid device that brings together light-absorbing organic polymers and bacterial enzymes to transform sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into formate, a clean fuel that can power additional chemical reactions.

This “semi-artificial leaf” replicates photosynthesis, the natural process plants use to turn sunlight into energy, and operates entirely on its own power. Unlike previous designs that relied on toxic or unstable light absorbers, this new biohybrid model uses non-toxic materials, runs more efficiently, and remains stable without extra additives.

In laboratory tests, the team successfully used sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into formate and then applied it directly in a “domino” reaction to synthesize a valuable compound used in pharmaceuticals, achieving both high yield and purity.

According to findings published in Joule, this marks the first instance where organic semiconductors have served as the light-capturing component in such a biohybrid system, paving the way for a new generation of eco-friendly artificial leaves.

The chemical industry remains a cornerstone of the global economy, producing a vast range of goods from medicines and fertilizers to plastics, paints, electronics, cleaning agents, and toiletries.

“If we’re going to build a circular, sustainable economy, the chemical industry is a big, complex problem that we must address,” said Professor Erwin Reisner from Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, who led the research. “We’ve got to come up with ways to de-fossilize this important sector, which produces so many important products we all need. It’s a huge opportunity if we can get it right.”

Reisner’s research group specializes in the development of artificial leaves, which turn sunlight into carbon-based fuels and chemicals without relying on fossil fuels. But many of their earlier designs depend on synthetic catalysts or inorganic semiconductors, which either degrade quickly, waste much of the solar spectrum, or contain toxic elements such as lead.

“If we can remove the toxic components and start using organic elements, we end up with a clean chemical reaction and a single end product, without any unwanted side reactions,” said co-first author Dr. Celine Yeung, who completed the research as part of her PhD work in Reisner’s lab. “This device combines the best of both worlds organic semiconductors are tuneable and non-toxic, while biocatalysts are highly selective and efficient.”

The new device integrates organic semiconductors with enzymes from sulfate-reducing bacteria, splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen or converting carbon dioxide into formate.

The researchers have also addressed a long-standing challenge: most systems require chemical additives, known as buffers, to keep the enzymes running. These can break down quickly and limit stability. By embedding a helper enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, into a porous titania structure, the researchers enabled the system to work in a simple bicarbonate solution similar to sparkling water  without unsustainable additives.

“It’s like a big puzzle,” said co-first author Dr. Yongpeng Liu, a postdoctoral researcher in Reisner’s lab. “We have all these different components that we’ve been trying to bring together for a single purpose. It took us a long time to figure out how this specific enzyme is immobilized on an electrode, but we’re now starting to see the fruits from these efforts.”

“By really studying how the enzyme works, we were able to precisely design the materials that make up the different layers of our sandwich-like device,” said Yeung. “This design made the parts work together more effectively, from the tiny nanoscale up to the full artificial leaf.”

Tests showed the artificial leaf produced high currents and achieved near-perfect efficiency in directing electrons into fuel-making reactions. The device successfully ran for over 24 hours: more than twice as long as previous designs.

The researchers are hoping to further develop their designs to extend the lifespan of the device and adapt it so it can produce different types of chemical products.

“We’ve shown it’s possible to create solar-powered devices that are not only efficient and durable but also free from toxic or unsustainable components,” said Reisner. “This could be a fundamental platform for producing green fuels and chemicals in future it’s a real opportunity to do some exciting and important chemistry.”

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This Wonder Material Could Revolutionize Renewable Energy

A team of researchers has explored how two-dimensional materials known as MXenes could revolutionize renewable energy and sustainable chemical production.

Scientists searching for cleaner and more sustainable technologies are turning their attention to two-dimensional materials that could transform renewable energy systems. Their work may make it possible to create essential compounds like ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizers, through cleaner and more efficient methods.

Among the most promising of these materials are MXenes, an emerging class of low-dimensional compounds. MXenes can act as catalysts that convert elements from the air into ammonia, a process that could improve energy efficiency in both agricultural and transportation applications.

One of the remarkable features of MXenes is their highly adaptable chemical makeup. Their compositions can be finely adjusted, allowing scientists to precisely control their structural and functional properties for different uses.

This research, featured in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, was conducted by chemical engineering professors Drs. Abdoulaye Djire and Perla Balbuena, along with Ph.D. candidate Ray Yoo.

Djire’s team is questioning a long-held belief in materials science: that the performance of transition metal-based materials depends only on the specific metal used. Instead, they aim to uncover a deeper understanding of how various structural factors influence catalytic performance.

Understanding Catalytic Functionality

“We aim to expand our understanding of how materials function as catalysts under electrocatalytic conditions,” Djire said. “Ultimately, this knowledge may help us identify the key components needed to produce chemicals and fuels from earth-abundant resources.”

The structure of MXenes plays a key role in how they behave. By adjusting the lattice nitrogen reactivity, specifically by replacing a carbon atom with a nitrogen atom, researchers can modify the material’s vibrational properties. These properties describe how molecules move and vibrate based on the energy within them.

According to Yoo, this ability to fine-tune MXenes makes them highly adaptable for targeted uses in renewable energy. Their customizable nature positions them as strong contenders to replace current electrocatalyst materials that are often expensive and less efficient.

“MXenes are the ideal candidates as transition metal-based alternative materials. They have promising potential due to their many desirable qualities,” Yoo said. “Nitride MXenes play an important role in electrocatalysis, as shown through their improvement in performance compared to the widely studied carbide counterparts.”

Computational and Experimental Insights

The work was complemented by first-principles computational analyses performed by Ph.D. student Hao-En Lai in Dr. Balbuena’s group. The group evaluated changes in the surface vibrational modes caused by energy-relevant solvents in contact with MXenes. With these additional findings, the authors quantified the interactions of molecules, especially in the context of ammonia synthesis.

Throughout this research, Djire, Yoo, and the team have investigated the vibrational properties of titanium nitride using Raman spectroscopy, a non-destructive chemical analysis technique that provides detailed information about chemical structure.

“I feel that one of the most important parts of this research is the ability of Raman spectroscopy to reveal the lattice nitrogen reactivity,” Yoo said. “This reshapes the understanding of the electrocatalytic system involving MXenes.

Studies involving Raman spectroscopical characterization with nitride MXenes and polar solvents could lead to major breakthroughs, Yoo said.

“We demonstrate that electrochemical ammonia synthesis can be achieved through the protonation and replenishment of lattice nitrogen,” Djire said. “The ultimate goal of this project is to gain an atomistic-level understanding of the role played by the atoms that constitute a material’s structure.”

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The shocking reason Arctic rivers are turning rusty orange

Ice doesn’t just freeze, it fuels hidden chemistry that could turn rivers rusty as the planet warms.

Ice can dissolve iron minerals more effectively than liquid water, according to a new study from Umeå University. The discovery could help explain why many Arctic rivers are now turning rusty orange as permafrost thaws in a warming climate.

The study, recently published in the scientific journal PNAS, shows that ice at minus ten degrees Celsius releases more iron from common minerals than liquid water at four degrees Celsius. This challenges the long-held belief that frozen environments slow down chemical reactions.

"It may sound counterintuitive, but ice is not a passive frozen block," says Jean-François Boily, Professor at Umeå University and co-author of the study. "Freezing creates microscopic pockets of liquid water between ice crystals. These act like chemical reactors, where compounds become concentrated and extremely acidic. This means they can react with iron minerals even at temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius."

To understand the process, the researchers studied goethite - a widespread iron oxide mineral - together with a naturally occurring organic acid, using advanced microscopy and experiments.

They discovered that repeated freeze-thaw cycles make iron dissolve more efficiently. As the ice freezes and thaws, organic compounds that were previously trapped in the ice are released, fuelling further chemical reactions. Salinity also plays a crucial role: fresh and brackish water increase dissolution, while seawater can suppress it.

The findings apply mainly to acidic environments, such as mine drainage sites, frozen dust in the atmosphere, acid sulfate soils along the Baltic Sea coast, or in any acidic frozen environment where iron minerals interact with organics. The next step is to find out if the same is true for all iron-bearing ice. This is what ongoing research in the Boily laboratory will soon reveal.

"As the climate warms, freeze-thaw cycles become more frequent," says Angelo Pio Sebaaly, doctoral student and first author of the study. "Each cycle releases iron from soils and permafrost into the water. This can affect water quality and aquatic ecosystems across vast areas."

The findings show that ice is not a passive storage medium, but an active player. As freezing and thawing increase in polar and mountain regions, for the impact on ecosystems. and the natural cycling of elements could be significant.

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