Artifical Leaf Breakthrough Could Let Leaves Leave the Lab

Feb-14-19 An innovative breakthrough in artificial leaves could take the technology out of the lab and into the real world.

Currently, artificial leaves require pressurized tanks to draw in pure carbon dioxide, but in the real world they would need to be able to draw air from more dilute sources.

To that end, the team from the University of Illinois at Chicago developed a design that involves placing the artificial leaves inside a water-filled reservoir made of a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane would allow water warmed by the sun to evaporate out, while also drawing in CO2 for conversion to carbon monoxide (CO) and oxygen. The carbon monoxide could then be used as fuel, while the oxygen could be collected or safely released.

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[FUTURISM.COM]
[TODAY.UIC.EDU]

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