In recent years, the environmental problems caused by global warming due to greenhouse gases such as CO2 are becoming more and more apparent. In natural photosynthesis, CO2 is not reduced directly, but is combined with organic compounds that are converted into glucose or starch. In this way, artificial photosynthesis (Synthesis of fumaric acid by a new method) can reduce CO2 by combining it into organic compounds that can be used as raw materials, which can be converted into sustainable forms such as plastic.
A researcher led by Professor Yutaka Amao from the Artificial Photosynthesis Research Center and graduate student Mika Takeuchi from the Graduate School of Science at Osaka Metropolitan University has successfully produced fumaric acid from CO2, a raw material for plastics, confirmed for the first time – by and sunlight. Their findings were published in Sustainable Energy & Fuels.
Fumaric acid is synthesized from petroleum, to be used for the production of biodegradable plastics such as polybutylene succinate, but this study shows that fumaric acid can be produced from CO2 and compounds from biomass through and using renewable solar energy.
“In terms of the application of artificial photosynthesis, this research has succeeded in using visible light – renewable energy – as a source of energy,” Professor Amao explained. “In the future, we want to collect CO2 gas and use it to produce fumaric acid directly through artificial photosynthesis.”
