Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

Ability to create a virtually inexhaustible source of energy received from sunlight from the water, you may receive in the future thanks to the work of an international group of researchers with the participation of Russian scientists.

The study authors found that, the most efficient catalyst for the oxidation of water in the process of photosynthesis is widely distributed in nature, the manganese complex.

"Photosynthesis converts light into energy to light conversion ratio in the chemical energy of above 90%, while solar panels it averages 16%, in other words, the natural efficiency of at least six times more artificial, - according to one of the authors of the articil, Professor, Dr.Sci.Biol Suleiman Allahverdiyev, head of the laboratory managed by photobiosynthesis of the Institute of plant physiology Russian Academy of Sciences after K.A.Timirazev. - But for creating artificial photosynthetic systems is necessary to understand the molecular basis of the natural processes of photosynthesis and construct artificial photosynthetic cell. One of the stages of photosynthesis - water splitting processand this process is regulated by natural catalysts and everywhere in plants, algae, cyanobacteria and the catalyst complex is the same. We many times synthesized various complexes and compared their work with work of a natural manganese cluster, studied works of other authors and eventually have come to a conclusion that the manganese catalyst is the best of all than the others – the nature has chosen the most successful option".

Thus, complexes of artificial photosynthesis in the future can become almost inexhaustible power source, received from a sunlight and water.

However, before their creation is still very far away, as many problems, such as the construction of carrying out this process the enzyme system or the creation of solar cells based on natural photosystems by a factor of primary conversion of photon energy into the separated charges about 95% keept unresolved. Nevertheless, the works of researchers are one step closer to their goal of scientists.

©All rights are reserved. Citing to www.science.gov.az is necessary upon using news.