“Artificial Leaf” Shows Promise for Sustainable Liquid Fuel Alternative

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have created an Artificial Leaf that can be used to develop a liquid fuel alternative for Syngas. Syngas is a widely used gas currently produced with fossil fuels. The carbon neutral device is powered by simply sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. The device can also be used in a variety of temperatures and levels of sunlight.

PhD student Virgil Andrei was quoted in saying, “This means you are not limited to using this technology just in warm countries, or only operating the process during the summer months. You could use it from dawn until dusk, anywhere in the world.”

Syngas is used to produce a variety of products such as fuels, pharmaceuticals, plastics and fertilizers. In the future, this technology could be used to produce a liquid fuel replacement for gasoline. Although this is not the first artificial leaf ever made, this may be the most promising.