The ultra-thin, flexible devices take their inspiration from photosynthesis and are light enough to float on water. The researchers believe they could be used to generate a sustainable alternative to petrol without taking up space on land.
Outdoor tests of the lightweight leaves on the River Cam in Cambridge showed that they can convert sunlight into fuels as efficiently as plant leaves.
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.
Image credit: Virgil Andrei
Currently, around 80 per cent of global trade is transported by cargo vessels powered by fossil fuels.
In 2019, the research group...