Four Brookhaven chemists will discuss their research on this so-called "artificial photosynthesis" at the 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Mother Nature's work isn't so easy to perform in a laboratory. In the beginning stages of photosynthesis, the absorption of light by chlorophyll - a molecule responsible for the green color in plants - drives the complex photosynthetic reaction. The energy of sunlight is transferred in the form of electrons and positive charges throughout a pathway of various steps before the final products - carbohydrates (the plants' food) and oxygen - are produced. However, because the components of natural photosystems do not work properly outside their normal environment, the Brookhaven scientists are investigating other cataylsts that could be used to replicate these natural functions. Below are summaries of these talks, which are part of the American Chemical Society symposium "Catalysis Relevant to Energy and Sustainability." NOTE: The embargo date/time for each talk is specified after the title.-DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory
