Chemical conversion of solar energy by artificial photosynthesis through cross-fertilization

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Chemical conversion of solar energy by artificial photosynthesis: a breakthrough by fusion of related fields toward realization of practical processes
• Project/Area Number: 24107001
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Science and Engineering
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: Inoue Haruo 首都大学東京, 都市環境科学研究科, 特別先導教授 (90087304)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 民秋 均 立命館大学, 生命科学部, 教授 (00192641) ; 橋本 秀樹 関西学院大学, 理工学部, 教授 (50222211) ; 石谷 治 東京工業大学, 理学院, 教授 (50272282) ; 工藤 昭彦 東京理科大学, 理学部第一部応用化学科, 教授 (60221222)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-06-28 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 人工光合成 / 光合成 / 光捕集 / 水の酸化 / 水素発生 / 二酸化炭素の還元 / 再生可能エネルギー / 太陽光

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To realize artificial photosynthesis, strategic viewpoint of cross-fertilization based upon learning, mimicking, and exceeding natural photosynthesis was adopted in the project, where intensive studies has led to the stage with novel research viewpoints of 1) how could we get through the bottleneck subject, photon-flux-density problem of sun light, 2) how could we develop a protective environment of the artificial reaction center such as the protein environment in natural photosynthesis, and 3) how could we develop the system designed by both static viewpoint focusing on stable structures and dynamic one highlighting on reaction processes. Many innovative research results e.g. 1) development of chlorosome-type artificial light harvesting antenna system, 2) finding of two-electron oxidation of water, 3) development of artificial photosynthetic system with water and CO2 by visible light through Z-scheme, and 4) efficient photochemical reduction of CO2 have been successfully developed.

Free Research Field

光化学