They seek to recreate photosynthesis artificially to create nanotechnological materials

The artificial production of photosynthesis or the use of sunlight to be converted into another type of energy such as heat, is part of an international study led by Conicet specialists and Argentine researchers based in Germany that paves the way to develop materials nanotechnological to be used, for example, in the storage of energy in batteries and the production of green hydrogen, reported this Friday from this public body.

The work, published in the journal Nature Communications, was carried out by professionals from laboratories of the Center for Research in Bionanosciences (Cibion, Conicet) of the National University of San Martín (Unsam) and the University of Munich in Germany.

"The objective of my thesis was to develop nanostructured materials and use them to carry out artificial photosynthesis, that is, to imitate what plants do, which is to use solar energy to produce another type of energy. Our study on the conversion of light into heat allowed us to achieve a better understanding of how these materials manipulate said energy", said Matías Herrán, about his PhD thesis from the Nanomaterials for Energy group, led by Emiliano Cortes from the University of Munich.

Both researchers participated in the study and are graduates of the University of La Plata (UNLP).

In this process, explained the researcher through an official Conicet statement, it is important to capture sunlight and find materials that allow its use to assist chemical reactions and provide solutions to energy problems.

On his side, Cortés pointed out from Germany that his group "is developing new nanomaterials and techniques for the study of conversion processes from solar, thermal or electrical energy to chemical energy."

"Some examples that we are working on are the production of green hydrogen and other renewable fuels and the storage of energy in new nanomaterials for batteries, among others," he specified.