When we talk about obtaining fuel from carbon dioxide , we immediately recall a course in school biology with material for studying the process of photosynthesis, the essence of which is the receipt of carbohydrates under the influence of a source of sunlight, which are precisely the biological fuel for the body's cells.

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For many years, scientists have not abandoned the idea of ​​using the effect of photosynthesis in order to create artificial methods of energy storage with its subsequent use. The success of artificial photosynthesis would solve the problem of energy conservation in solar and wind energy at times when both sun and wind are absent.

Creation of artificial photosynthesis

Scientific researchers in the field of artificial photosynthesis have taken a significant step forward. In the process of activation of catalysts under the influence of the spectrum of sunlight, water splits into oxygen and an important valuable source of energy - hydrogen.

If we go further, a more promising method would make it possible to use hydrogen in a similar way in the process of reduction reactions, the final product of which would be hydrocarbons obtained from carbon dioxide. As in the existing natural photosynthesis, to obtain fuel from carbon dioxide according to this scheme, the presence of two factors would be necessary: ​​sunlight and carbon dioxide.

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In simple words, this method would allow, instead of the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere during the combustion of one or another fuel, to enter the next cycle for secondary fuel production.

Using carbon dioxide to produce fuel

Several scientific organizations are currently working on the development of the procedure for recirculating carbon dioxide and the purpose of secondary fuel production. Scientists from Harvard University were able to boast, who said that they were able to obtain fuel by combining the processes of splitting a water molecule and converting carbon dioxide. Fusel oils were obtained as liquid fuel.

It turns out that the method turned out to be much more effective than the natural process of transformation of CO2 into hydrocarbons in plant leaf cells. In fact, the efficiency of the sun's energy used to produce glucose in plants is only 1%, while in the artificial method obtained for the extraction of fuel this figure has reached 10%.
In terms of numbers, it will look something like this: 1 kW of electricity will be obtained from 180 grams of carbon dioxide extracted from the air. The figure is impressive.

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Combining technologies for splitting water using inorganic substances under the influence of sunlight and genetically modified microorganisms made it possible to achieve such an effective result. The hybrid model of the technology excludes the possibility of the formation of toxic substances due to the use of biocompatible components.

It is unique that the output is fuel of various compounds even at low concentrations of carbon dioxide. And this is thanks to the method of metabolic engineering.

Note! Metabolic engineering is a way to optimize genetic and regenerative processes in cells using genetic engineering to launch new biochemical reactions, new metabolic pathways in a transgenic organism, in order to increase the production of certain substances.

This unique method has already been tested in laboratory conditions and is completely ready for the stage of the pilot production process. But provided that they are used as a catalyst, inexpensive and readily available metals.

Fertilizer production directly in the soil

The prospect of the development of the new method has its wide development in the agricultural sector.

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Entering new horizons of environmentally friendly production of fuel with an increased content of carbon and hydrogen, then using other bacteria as a result of the use of metabolic engineering, nitrogen fertilizers can be obtained at the output directly in the ground, increasing the yield index in places where it is not always logistically From the point of view, it is advisable to use fertilizers produced at specialized chemical plants.

The produced biopolymers act as biofuels as a result of the absorption of carbon dioxide and hydrogen by bacteria. The saturation of microorganisms with biopolymers in the right amount leads to the fact that they no longer need sunlight and they can sink into the layer of the earth. Bacteria begin to produce fertilizers by getting nitrogen from the air and hydrogen and energy from biopolymers.

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