Carbon nanotube discovery revealed

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Carbon nanotube discovery revealed

Researchers have discovered new technology which could overcome a hurdle which has previously blocked attempts at creating artificial photosynthesis.

Researchers have discovered new technology which could overcome a hurdle which has previously blocked attempts at creating artificial photosynthesis.

Carbon nanotubes have been found to mimic a reaction which creates the necessary energy to stimulate photosynthesis; a process which scientists have, until now, been unable to copy.

The team, led by Xian-Fu Zhang at the Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology in Qinhuangdao, China, discovered that the nanotubes are able to receive and store multiple electrons at a time. This means they can be used in a chemical reaction where hydrogen reacts with carbon dioxide to synthesise energy-storing carbohydrates.

The discovery could have an impact on the 'green' energy industry as it offers the potential to efficiently produce hydrogen that could be used as a clean fuel.

"We decided to create this system initially simply to efficiently convert solar energy into electricity," Dr Zhang told New Scientist magazine. But he said the research, published in the journal ChemPhysChem, demonstrated that the nanotube technology could also have the potential to reduce carbon dioxide to carbohydrates - a key component of an artificial photosynthesis model.

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