By Mittali Tyagi, Prabir Paul & Rashmi Rameshwari
One of the biggest challenges in building sustainable societies is developing technologies that rely on renewable energy. Solutions must ensure a smooth transition from current fossil fuel systems and integrate well with existing infrastructure.
There’s a demand-supply mismatch between renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind. This has created a need for technologies that convert solar energy into chemical fuels, that is, artificial photosynthesis.
Through the artificial photosynthesis route, solar energy can be used to produce hydrogen and other fuels such as methanol, methane and formic acid, offering efficient storable energy alternatives.
Scientists and researchers are already taking cues from nature to achieve this.
The global artificial photosynthesis market was valued at USD 83.39 million in 2024 and is projected to grow to around USD $317.96 million by 2034, with an annual growth rate of 14.32 percent, between 2025 and 2034.
Rising environmental awareness and the push for clean energy solutions are key drivers of this growth.
This upward trend highlights the growing investment and innovation in solar fuel technologies, positioning artificial photosynthesis as a key player in the global transition to clean, carbon neutral energy solutions.
From leaf to clean energy
Over billions of years, nature has perfected the leaf into a highly advanced system. A natural leaf is a complex integration of biological structures and functional components, working together as a sophisticated machine for photosynthesis.
It efficiently captures sunlight, separates electric charges, and drives chemical reactions to split water into oxygen and hydrogen (in the form of protons and electrons). These are then used to convert carbon dioxide into the organic compounds essential for life.
Nature holds the original patent for storing light energy in molecules more successfully than in battery technologies.
However, plants perform this complex process by linking several subsystems. They use antenna structures to absorb visible light efficiently and transfer it through multiple steps to reaction centres.
Plants also have built-in protective and self-repair mechanisms, as well as systems to control energy flow and maintain stable charge-separated states long enough to drive water splitting and fuel generation.
Leaves efficiently turn sunlight into chemical energy through two special systems inside their cells that work in a coordinated step-by-step process, passing the energy along a certain direction. To make this system work they are packed inside the thylakoid membrane, also known as the plant’s solar panels.
Artificial systems often struggle to replicate this due to poor spatial control at the interface between their active components, leading to inefficient charge transfer.
Scientists have now created a smart artificial leaf with carefully arranged tiny parts by placing the components that produce oxygen and hydrogen at the right spots. This ensures that the energy flows in the right direction, like in the natural leaf.
Innovations for clean energy solutions
A range of artificial photosynthesis technologies are currently under development and generally fall into three primary categories: photocatalysis, photo-electrochemistry and photovoltaic-driven electrolysis (PV-electrolysis).
Across the world, scientists are racing to replicate the elegance of natural photosynthesis to develop clean, sustainable energy solutions.
One such example is Eco-leaf, a bioinspired, 3D printed, leaf-mimicking device that emulates natural photosynthesis using a combination of biological and synthetic components.
A glucose reactor developed by two researchers in India is another novel approach to artificial photosynthesis that converts captured carbon dioxide into glucose. It uses principles of carbon fixation and renewable energy to mimic the natural process of photosynthesis, specifically, the way plants turn carbon dioxide and sunlight into glucose, a form of stored energy. The glucose can be further used as a biofuel or industrial feedstock.
A team of researchers in Australia has designed tiny flat structures made of carbon called carbon microplates, and coated them with even smaller particles known as carbon quantum dots, known for their special electrical and optical properties, featuring tiny pores that absorb carbon dioxide and water. This simulates natural photosynthesis, converting absorbed compounds into hydrocarbons, usable for fuels and other applications.
Other researchers have developed a cost-effective artificial leaf capable of capturing carbon dioxide 100 times better than existing systems.
Unlike most carbon capture technologies that require pure sources of carbon dioxide, this artificial leaf operates efficiently in real world conditions, capturing the gas from ambient air and flue gases (polluted exhaust air from factories or power plants).
More such research is underway to bridge the gap between biological elegance and technological efficiency.
Integrating artificial intelligence into energy systems is a significant step towards practical artificial photosynthesis systems. AI-driven smart grids can optimise energy production and distribution, making renewable energy more reliable and efficient.
AI enables predictive maintenance by analysing sensor data to detect faults early. It also enhances energy optimisation by forecasting production and adjusting operations in real time to maximise output from sources like solar and wind .
The BioSolar cells programme, launched as a public-private partnership in the Netherlands in 2010, is focussing on advancing artificial photosynthesis, and cellular and plant-based photosynthesis as one of its major research initiatives.
Supported by the government, academia and industry, it also emphasises education and public dialogue on the societal impact of solar to fuel technologies.
Restoring planetary balance
However, techno-economic evaluations indicate that none of these lab-scale technologies are yet viable for practical, sustainable fuel production. This is largely due to low solar-to-chemical conversion efficiencies, a lack of highly active and selective catalysts, and challenges related to scalability and long-term stability.
While challenges remain in scalability, efficiency and integration, growing global investment and collaborative research efforts signal a promising trajectory.
As we stand at the crossroads of climate urgency and technological advancement, artificial photosynthesis emerges as a beacon of hope for a sustainable future.
By mimicking nature’s most elegant process, scientists are unlocking the potential to convert sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into clean fuels, paving the way for carbon-neutral energy systems.
The dawn of artificial photosynthesis is not just a scientific milestone — it’s a crucial step toward reshaping our relationship with energy and restoring balance to our planet’s climate.
Mittali Tyagi is a PhD Scholar and a sustainability enthusiast at Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Haryana.
Prof. Prabir K. Paul is Head of Department, Plant Botanist and Plant Scientist, Department of Biotechnology, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Haryana.
Rashmi Rameshwari is Professor and Bioinformatician, Department of Biotechnology, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Haryana.
Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™.
