Artificial/synthetic photosynthesis

[DrTre]

Right, I've not got a clue about this but, as I wandered about at lunchtime I marvelled at what plants do, turning light and water and sugar and stuff into wood and leaves and...stuff.

Yeah, yeah, animals and things are cool too but really they just turn meat and veg into more meat. Plants are that bit more clever...simpler but cleverer.

I seem to remember from my distant biology studies that photosynthesis is quite an efficient process...why don't we create synthetic cholorophyll?

Is this a new branch of science? (tee hee)
Am I barking up the wrong tree? (ho ho ho)
By asking this question do I look like a sap? (arf arf)
Will anyone be able to stem the flow of godawful puns? (That's enough now)

[Don]

Because it's hard. Mother natures molecules are somewhat complex.

I found an article - about a bloke at MIT who's working on it.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2001/nocera.html

Not quite the same thing though, really.

[DrTre]

Cheers.

Odd how we're so advanced...and not...although I appreciate Mother Nature has had a fair bit longer to perfect those molecules than we've tried.

[Menguin]

I have the beleaf that it could be a good idea. (ho ho ho).

[crofty1984]

If I remember correctly,
6CO2 + 6H20 -------> C6H12O6 + 6O2 is the way it goes.
Whoos, sorry, I forgot I was supposed to field a bad pun instead.

Edited by crofty1984 on Thursday 18th June 15:07

[Aowhs102]

crofty1984 said:

If I remember correctly,
6CO2 + 6H20 -------> C6H12O6 + 6O2 is the way it goes.

What 'e said.

[loafer123]

You think photosynthesis is clever?

Work out how my 3 year old gets huge amounts of energy out of a tiny lollypop and you will have cracked the global energy conundrum...

[DrTre]

loafer123 said:

You think photosynthesis is clever?

Work out how my 3 year old gets huge amounts of energy out of a tiny lollypop and you will have cracked the global energy conundrum...

THAT is a fking good point.

Why don't we power the world on toddlers and E numbers?

And what if we made the toddlers get energy from having photosynthetic skin?!?!?

[crofty1984]

DrTre said:

loafer123 said:

You think photosynthesis is clever?

Work out how my 3 year old gets huge amounts of energy out of a tiny lollypop and you will have cracked the global energy conundrum...

THAT is a fking good point.

Why don't we power the world on toddlers and E numbers?

And what if we made the toddlers get energy from having photosynthetic skin?!?!?

You wouldn't like them when they're angry...

[tonyvid]

It's a little on the sluggish side too, and a poor power/weight ratio. Stick to SuperUnleaded