Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 10

5
Who
Researchers have developed floating " artificial
leaves " that generate clean fuels from sunlight and
water and could eventually operate on a large scale
at sea.
What
Researchers have designed ultra-thin devices inspired
by photosynthesis. In 2019, Professor Erwin
Reisner's research group in Cambridge developed
an artificial leaf, which makes syngas - a key intermediate
in the production of many chemicals and
pharmaceuticals - from sunlight, CO2, and water.
The earlier prototype generated fuel by combining
two light absorbers with suitable catalysts. However,
Wsof the
Artificial Leaf
Floating artificial leaf on the River Cam near St John's College, Cambridge.
(Image: Virgil Andrei, University of Cambridge)
its thick glass substrates and moisture-protective coatings made the device
bulky. For the new version of the artificial leaf, the researchers were inspired
by the electronics industry, where miniaturization techniques have
led to the creation of flexible displays. The challenge for the researchers
was how to deposit light absorbers onto lightweight substrates and protect
them against water infiltration. The team used thin-film metal oxides and
materials known as perovskites, which can be coated onto flexible plastic
and metal foils. They ended up with a device that works and looks like a
real leaf. Tests of the new artificial leaves showed that they can split water
into hydrogen and oxygen, or reduce CO2 to syngas.
WHERE
University of Cambridge
WHY
Since the artificial leaves are light enough to float, they could be used
to generate a sustainable alternative to gas without taking up space on
land.
WHEN
This is the first time that clean fuel has been generated on water, and if scaled up, the artificial leaves could be used
on polluted waterways, in ports or even at sea, and could help reduce the global shipping industry's reliance on
fossil fuels.
The artificial leaf is covered with micrometer
thin, water-repellent carbon-based layers that
prevent moisture degradation. (Image: Virgil
Andrei, University of Cambridge)
10
Contact Dr. Virgil Andrei at va291@cam.ac.uk; 01223 336396.
www.techbriefs.com
Tech Briefs, October 2022

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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022

Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Intro
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sponsor1
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Cov1
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Cov2
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 1
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 2
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 3
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 4
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 5
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 6
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 7
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 8
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 9
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 10
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 11
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 12
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 13
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 14
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 15
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 16
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 17
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 18
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 19
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 20
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 28
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 29
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 30
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-1A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-2A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-3A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-4A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-5A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-6A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-7A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-8A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-9A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-10A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-11A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-12A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-13A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-14A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-15A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-16A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-17A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-18A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-19A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-20A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-21A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-22A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-23A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-24A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-25A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-26A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-27A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-28A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-29A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-30A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-31A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-32A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-33A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-34A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-35A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-36A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-31
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-32
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-33
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-34
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-35
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-36
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-37
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-38
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-39
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-41
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-43
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-44
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-45
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-46
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-47
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-48
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-49
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-50
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-51
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-52
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-53
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-54
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-55
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-56
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-57
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-58
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-59
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-60
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-Cov3
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-Cov4
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-Cov1
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-Cov2
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-1
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-2
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-3
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-4
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-6A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-6B
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-6C
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-6D
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-7
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-10
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-11
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-12
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-13
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-14
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-15
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-16
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-17
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-18
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-19
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-20
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-21
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-Cov4
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sensor-Cov1
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sensor-Cov2
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sensor-1
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sensor-11
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sensor-14
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sensor-28
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sensor-Cov4
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