Scientists in Japan may have unlocked the key to recreating how plants perform photosynthesis, according to a new study, potentially paving the way for new ways to harvest solar energy.
Plants and some bacteria are able to perform photosynthesis—transforming light from the sun into chemical energy—using light-harvesting supramolecules. But while these complex supramolecules have been studied before, humans haven’t been able to artificially recreate them.last week outlines how researchers were able to synthesize and study the formation of light-harvesting supramolecules, which they believe could be pivotal in future solar technology.
It is these ring-shaped structures that researchers focused on in the new study. By mixing chemicals and proteins in an organic solvent, researchers discovered how to trigger the substances to self-assemble into the ring-shaped supramolecule. What this means, according to researchers, is that they’re able to synthesize these light-harvesting supramolecules through this method of manipulating the molecules with heat and adjusting the concentration of chlorophyll.
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