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Nature has solved many of the problems that humankind is now facing, including offering renewable energy options. Using nature as their guide, a biophysics research group at the University of Pretoria (UP) investigated the inner workings of chloroplasts – and came back energised.

While the technology employed by the fourth industrial revolution promises effective solutions to the world’s energy crisis, nature promises more. Also, while the data produced by interconnected platforms offer incredible insight into production systems, nature’s inter-related systems have already perfected the process.

The subject of photosynthesis, and the efficiency of plants to absorb light, is under the microscope of Professor Tjaart Krüger of the Biophysics Research Group in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP). Work in his laboratory could see inexpensive, efficient, and sustainable electricity being generated through the use of “artificial leaves”.

According to Prof Krüger, the current global push for renewable energy resources isn’t going far enough, nor is it sustainable.

“While the widely used photovoltaic cells mimic the first steps of photosynthesis by converting solar energy into electrical energy, they are very expensive to manufacture,” he explains. “If we don’t use expensive means to remove impurities and other defects from conventional photovoltaic cells, the absorbed energy will be lost on its way to the electrodes, because most of it will be trapped by the defects.”

Natural energy generation

“We can renew our thinking about renewable energy by drawing inspiration from nature, which has long resolved the ‘energy problem’,” Prof Krüger says. “Every cell in every living organism needs energy – this is energy generation on an enormous scale!”

Current solar energy technologies can draw so much from photosynthetic organisms such as plants, algae and cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria and plant chloroplasts have two photosystems that work in parallel, and both are excited by light simultaneously. “Their photosystems capture solar light and convert the photoenergy into more stable forms of energy that can be more easily utilised,” Prof Krüger explains.

By using abundant supplies of carbon dioxide and water, these organisms quickly convert absorbed solar energy into a “fuel” via about 170 chemical reactions. This makes it an economical – and sustainable – form of energy production. It is highly efficient too, as every photon absorbed is converted into realisable energy.

“One of the research threads of the UP Biophysics Research Group is to study the design principles of the photosystems and identify ways to apply some of these principles to solar cells,” Prof Krüger says. “In collaboration with researchers from Addis Ababa and Tokyo, we have started to work on organic solar cells, which share many similarities with the photosystems of photosynthetic organisms.”

This new type of solar cell mimics the design of the photosynthetic apparatus of cyanobacteria, which contains a type of light-harvesting complex and two types of photosystems. This design offers numerous benefits and enhances overall performance.

Other than its efficiency and economy, this material is also flexible and transparent, offering exciting application potential as a type of paint for roofs, windows or cars.

“This innovation has been inspired by nature – we are merely learning from the best teacher,” Prof Krüger says.

Why is this research important?

The world is facing a global energy crisis caused by ever-increasing demands for natural resources. The situation is even more desperate in Africa, where most communities don’t have access to electricity and, consequently, meet their fuel needs by cutting trees, unknowingly adding to global climate change. Organic solar cells that mimic the energy efficiency of photosynthesis, which uses renewable materials that nature produces in abundance, offer a light at the end of the tunnel.

Why does research from the University of Pretoria matter?

Over the past two years, the world has focused on renewed ways of thinking with increased clarity. Renewable energy, mental health and wellness, renewed expertise, and new ways of working and living have all come to the fore in conversations across multiple sectors.

At the University of Pretoria, we know that problems rarely occur in silos. The aim of our research is to find African solutions to global concerns. Our work focuses on intra-, inter-, multi- and transdisciplinary research. These approaches allow us to consider the interplay of multiple aspects before we provide solutions to transform lives and society. For us, being able to think with a renewed sense of compassion, creativity and critique of what we know is key to providing not only solutions, but a renewed sense of hope to our continent and the world.

You can read more about our research on our dedicated science communication platform, Research Matters, where we make the knowledge we produce, scientific discoveries and research accessible to a wide audience. We also have a multimedia-rich digital magazine, RE.SEARCH, where you can learn more about our research on sustainability, innovation and renewal. DM

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  • Bernhard Scheffler says:

    This is very important research. However, the statement “photovoltaic cells . . . are very expensive to manufacture” should be compared with that of the respected IEA, which states in its 2020 Word Outlook for Electricity “For projects with low cost financing that tap high quality resources, solar PV is now the cheapest source of electricity in history”.
    It deserves noting also that low cost financing for solar PV is amply available in and to South Africa, which according to the World Map of Design Insolation has by far the best solar resource anywhere

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