A Big Leap for an Artificial Leaf

A new system for making liquid fuel from sunlight, water, and air is a promising step for solar fuels.

The bionic leaf is one step closer to reality.

Daniel Nocera, a professor of energy science at Harvard who pioneered the use of artificial photosynthesis, says that he and his colleague Pamela Silver have devised a system that completes the process of making liquid fuel from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. And they’ve done it at an efficiency of 10 percent, using pure carbon dioxide—in other words, one-tenth of the energy in sunlight is captured and turned into fuel. That is much higher than natural photosynthesis, which converts about 1 percent of solar energy into the carbohydrates used by plants, and it could be a milestone in the shift away from fossil fuels. The new system is described in a new paper in Science.

“Bill Gates has said that to solve our energy problems, someday we need to do what photosynthesis does, and that someday we might be able to do it even more efficiently than plants,” says Nocera. “That someday has arrived.”

In nature, plants use sunlight to make carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water. Artificial photosynthesis seeks to use the same inputs—solar energy, water, and carbon dioxide—to produce energy-dense liquid fuels. Nocera and Silver’s system uses a pair of catalysts to split water into oxygen and hydrogen, and feeds the hydrogen to bacteria along with carbon dioxide. The bacteria, a microörganism that has been bioengineered to specific characteristics, converts the carbon dioxide and hydrogen into liquid fuels.

Several companies, including Joule Unlimited and LanzaTech, are working to produce biofuels from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, but they use bacteria that consume carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, rather than hydrogen. Nocera’s system, he says, can operate at lower temperatures, higher efficiency, and lower costs.

Nocera’s latest work “is really quite amazing,” says Peidong Yang of the University of California, Berkeley. Yang has developed a similar system with much lower efficiency. “The high performance of this system is unparalleled” in any other artificial photosynthesis system reported to date, he says.

The new system can use pure carbon dioxide in gas form, or carbon dioxide captured from the air—which means it could be carbon-neutral, introducing no additional greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. “The 10 percent number, that’s using pure CO2,” says Nocera. Allowing the bacteria themselves to capture carbon dioxide from the air, he adds, results in an efficiency of 3 to 4 percent—still significantly higher than natural photosynthesis. “That’s the power of biology: these bioörganisms have natural CO2 concentration mechanisms.”

Nocera’s research is distinct from the work being carried out by the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, a U.S. its fusing of two usually separate fields:

• inorganic chemistry (to split water) and 
• biology (to convert hydrogen and carbon dioxide into fuel). 

“What’s really exciting is the hybrid approach” to artificial photosynthesis, says Co. “It’s exciting to see chemists pairing with biologists to advance the field.”

Commercializing the technology will likely take years. In any case, the prospect of turning sunlight into liquid fuel suddenly looks a lot closer.

ORIGINAL: Technology Review
by Richard Martin
June 7, 2016

Sun Catalytix completes $9.5 Million Series B Funding Round

ORIGINAL: Sun Catalyx

Sun Catalix

For immediate release:  

Round Led by Tata Limited, with Continued Participation by Polaris Venture Partners; Dr. Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, to Join Board

Cambridge, Mass., October 7, 2010 - Sun Catalytix Corporation (Sun Catalytix), an energy storage and renewable fuels company, today announced the completion of its $9.5 million Series B Funding Round led by Tata Limited (Tata), with participation from existing investor Polaris Venture Partners as well as other investors. The funds raised in this financing will support continued development of the company’s breakthrough catalyst technology. Dr. Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, has joined the Sun Catalytix board as a representative of Tata.

“The funding secured in this round will enable Sun Catalytix to continue to move its technology forward and to deliver prototypes,” said MIT Professor and Sun Catalytix Founder Daniel Nocera. “We are delighted to have attracted Tata, a global and visionary company, as an investor and to have the continuing strong support of Polaris Venture Partners.”

The Sun Catalytix technology utilizes innovative catalysts made of earth - abundant elements that split water and generate hydrogen and oxygen from water and renewably - generated electricity in benign and simple operating conditions. By eliminating expensive precious metals and substantially reducing balance of plant costs, Sun Catalytix’ technology promises to enable the conversion of electrical, solar or wind energy to storable energy at transformative cost targets. Sun Catalytix systems target the generation of hydrogen from water at significantly lower costs for industrial applications, for energy storage, and for use as a renewable fuel through internal combustion engines or fuel cells.

About Tata 

Tata Limited, a Tata Sons’ subsidiary, was established in 1907. Tata companies operate in seven business sectors: communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. The total revenue of Tata companies is approximately $70 billion, and they employ around 360,000 people worldwide. The Tata name has been respected in India for 140 years for its adherence to strong values and business ethics. There are 28 publicly listed Tata enterprises with a combined market capitalization of over $90 billion, with 3.5 million shareholders.

Technological leadership and innovation is a critical factor for Tata companies as they chart a course for the future in the global marketplace with the objective of consistently delivering breakthrough products and services. The Tata Group views breakthrough technology as a key factor in achieving its goals of contributing to growth and development in the communities it operates in, and a low carbon future.

About Polaris Venture Partners
A U.S. venture capital firm with over $3 billion under management, Polaris invests in seed, early stage and growth equity businesses in the technology, life science, digital media, enertech and consumer sectors. Through a philosophy of lead investing and active, long - term partnering with entrepreneurs and management teams, Polaris has helped many companies achieve outstanding success. Among them are: Accordant Health Services, Acusphere, Advanced Inhalation Research (AIR), Akamai Technologies, Allaire Corporation, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, American Superconductor, Archivas, Aspect Medical Systems, Avici Systems, Centra Software, Classifieds2000, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Cushcraft Corporation, deCODE genetics, Exchange.com, GlycoFi, Matrics, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Paradigm Genetics, Powersoft, Solidworks, TechTarget and TransForm Pharmaceuticals. www.polarisventures.com

For Further Information please contact:
Melissa Cohen
Metis Communications
Tel: +1 - 617 - 236 - 0500
Email: press@suncatalytix.com

Christabelle Noronha
Tata Sons Limited
Tel: +91 - 22 - 6657887
Email: chris@tata.com

Sampling MIT at the MIT Museum: Water Splitting

ORIGINAL: MIT

MIT Professor Daniel Nocera and his research team are in a race to make inexpensive energy from the sun and they want to do it soon. Using plant photosynthesis as their inspiration, this exhibit shows how they can now use the suns energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases in a safe and simple way. 

Daniel Nocera describes new process for storing solar energy

In a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal, boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power: storing energy for use when the sun doesn't shine.