Why should we perform artificial photosynthesis? What could be the potential directions?

Photosynthesis is the mechanism by which plants combine carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O) with sunlight (using chlorophyll) to make glucose and emit oxygen (O2). In the artificial version, there can be two scenarios, I call them type 1 & 2.

Type 1. Just splitting the water (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen, without needing the carbon dioxide. The hydrogen can be used for fuel.

Type 2. Utilizing CO2 to imitate the plant photosynthesis, in order to reduce carbon dioxide, make some glucose (food), and some by products like methane for energy.

Utilization ideas:
Type 1: For fuel cells, hydrogen source, energy harvesting

Type 2:
a. Clean energy (one can use such a system to suck up the CO2 and emit O2, near industrial plants, roads & highway (on the street light poles, road dividers, reflectors etc), inside tunnels, etc. In fact, CO2 is so abundant that if such a system works, one can turn the environmental issues into an advantage. This will reduce CO2 emission, filter pollution, balance further economic/industrial growth which could be under scrutiny due to CO2 emission problem.

b. Make some glucose, sugar (in the direction towards food development). This can help global food problem. Although it sounds funny, still we should not underestimate the mechanism by which plants are living after all!

c. Produce other carbon compounds and by-products like methane for energy harvesting.

There has been some advancements in the technology. I’m providing few pointers below.

Type 1:
Daniel Nocera, MIT, head of MIT’s solar revolution project. http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/www/faculty/nocera.html
Akira Fujishima, Univ. of Tokyo, http://www.nanonet.go.jp/english/mailmag/2005/044a.html

Type 2:
Bjron Winther-Jensen, Monash Univ., Australia http://www.eng.monash.edu.au/mat/staff/bjorn-wintherjensen.pdf
CSIRO, Australia, http://www.csiro.au
Vijoleta Braach-Maksvytis, Univ. of Melbourne, Australia, http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/news/3135/

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