Leaf-architectured 3D Hierarchical Artificial Photosynthetic System of Perovskite Titanates Towards CO₂ Photoreduction Into Hydrocarbon Fuels

摘要

The development of an “artificial photosynthetic system” (APS) having both the analogous important structural elements and reaction features of photosynthesis to achieve solar-driven water splitting and CO₂ reduction is highly challenging. Here, we demonstrate a design strategy for a promising 3D APS architecture as an efficient mass flow/light harvesting network relying on the morphological replacement of a concept prototype-leaf's 3D architecture into perovskite titanates for CO₂ photoreduction into hydrocarbon fuels (CO and CH₄). The process uses artificial sunlight as the energy source, water as an electron donor and CO₂ as the carbon source, mimicking what real leaves do. To our knowledge this is the first example utilizing biological systems as “architecture-directing agents” for APS towards CO₂ photoreduction, which hints at a more general principle for APS architectures with a great variety of optimized biological geometries. This research would have great significance for the potential realization of global carbon neutral cycle.