Scientists at UC Riverside and the University of Delaware, by employing “artificial photosynthesis”, have managed to grow food-producing plants in complete darkness. The researchers accomplished this examination by producing an “acetate” medium in darkness, substituting the biological process of photosynthesis.
The experiment took place in two steps, using the electrocatalytic procedure for converting carbon dioxide, electricity and water into acetate that is ingested by food-producing plants for their growth. The efficiency of the entire process could be accelerated 18 times more than the biological photosynthesis, by adding solar power panels to the system, thus reducing the reliance on the Sun for plant growth.
Artificial photosynthesis escalates levels of acetate, using an electrolyser and decreasing the amount of salt generated as a by-product. To this date, this experiment has produced the highest levels of acetate by setting up an electrolyser.
In a press statement by Feng Jiao, an author of the University of Delaware, “using a state-of-the-art two-step tandem CO2 electrolysis set up developed in our laboratory, we can achieve a high selectivity towards acetate that cannot be accessed through conventional CO2 electrolysis routes.”
A research article regarding this was published in Nature Food, that the growth of algae is four times more energy-efficient by administering this technology instead of photosynthesis. Moreover, the scientists are experimenting on a range of other food-producing plants able to consume the acetate medium for growth. These plants included tomato, green pea, rice, tobacco and canola.
The ability to grow plants in the dark by adopting artificial photosynthesis, especially in immoderate conditions, reduces dependency on the Sun. The experiment is a potential remedy to the future problems of droughts, floods and global food shortages.
