Scientists have succeeded in synthesizing fumaric acid, a raw material for plastics, from CO2 powered by solar energy. This new artificial method of photosynthesis using sunlight can reduce CO2 by combining it with organic compounds, which can be converted into material, such as plastic. 

In the natural process of photosynthesis—as we learned in AP Biology class—CO2 is bound to organic compounds, such as RuBP, and converted into sugar. This is what we call carbon fixation, which takes place in the Calvin Cycle. Carbon fixation is the addition of carbon dioxide to organic molecules to prevent it from remaining in its “free state” in the atmosphere, which, in turn, creates energy. CO2 is not directly reduced in natural photosynthesis. This new discovery reveals that CO2 can synthesize fumaric acid using renewable solar energy. Fumaric acid is an important chemical which is mainly produced by petroleum-based chemical synthesis; however, these findings reveal that it can be synthesized from CO2. 

This research is progressing to the practical application of artificial photosynthesis, as it has effectively used visible light, a form of renewable energy, as its power source. What do you think of this new artificial process of photosynthesis? The scientists aim to collect gaseous CO2 and use it to synthesize fumaric acid directly through artificial photosynthesis. 

Natural Photosynthesis vs the Bionic Leaf

Why Artificial Photosynthesis?

Artificial photosynthesis is a strategy to convert sunlight, an unlimited and sustainable energy source, into chemical fuels. This artificial process of photosynthesis mimics photosynthetic organisms by using sunlight to yield high-energy chemicals with higher efficiencies. Producing plastics from solar energy and CO2, rather than fossil fuels, is also beneficial to our environment. This is because the more plastic we create using fossil fuels, the more fossil fuels we use, which ultimately harms climate change.