Among Mother Nature’s many wonders, Toshiba researchers focused on photosynthesis — a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that can later be released to fuel the organisms’ activities (energy transformation).
In other words, plants are able to synthesize food directly from carbon dioxide and water using energy from light. Learning from this system, Toshiba researchers created a novel way to convert carbon dioxide into ethylene glycol.
The ethylene glycol generated by this artificial photosynthesis system is a valuable and versatile industrial raw material that can be used in the manufacture of PET bottles, polyester fibers and resins!
The long-term goal of the research work is to develop a technology compatible with carbon dioxide capture systems installed at facilities such as thermal power stations and factories, utilizing carbon dioxide to provide stockable and trailerable energy.
Towards this, Toshiba will further improve the conversion efficiency by increasing catalytic activity, with the aim of securing practical implementation in the 2020s.
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