Researchers from Binghamton University have created innovative artificial plants that can absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen and even generate small amounts of electricity. As informs Interesting Engineering, this development imitates natural processes occurring in living plants. Each artificial leaf generates electricity through photosynthesis, and water and nutrients enter the system through transpiration and the capillary effect.
Professor Sokhin “Sean” Chowe and graduate student Maryam Rezaei initially created the artificial leaf as an experiment, but later discovered that the concept had much broader potential. They built the first artificial plant with five leaves and tested its ability to capture carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
Currently, the artificial plant can generate about 140 microwatts of electricity, but scientists aim to increase this figure to one milliwatt or more. They also plan to integrate an energy storage system, such as lithium-ion batteries or supercapacitors.
To increase the efficiency of the artificial plant, the researchers plan to use different types of bacteria to ensure its long-term operation and reduce the need for maintenance by developing systems to automatically deliver water and nutrients. The study also notes that carbon dioxide levels indoors are often much higher than outdoors, posing a health threat, especially in urban areas.
Artificial plants use cyanobacteria to capture indoor carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen and bioelectricity. They are able to reduce the level of CO2 by 90%, which is much more effective than ordinary plants. In addition to improving air quality, the system generates enough bioelectricity to power portable electronics.
An artificial plant consisting of five biosolar cells can produce up to 140 microwatts of energy, which allows for powering small devices.
