In the search for clean, green sustainable energy sources to
meet human needs for generations to come, perhaps no technology matches the
ultimate potential of artificial photosynthesis. Bionic leaves that could
produce energy-dense fuels from nothing more than sunlight, water and atmosphere-warming
carbon dioxide, with no byproducts other than oxygen, represent an ideal
alternative to fossil fuels but also pose numerous scientific challenges. A
major step toward meeting at least one of these challenges has been achieved by
researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) working at the Joint Center for Artificial
Photosynthesis (JCAP).