Research Results
Aug 3, 2017
- Press Release
A press release on the research results of Prof. Yutaka Amao's group has been issued
Succeeded in improving the efficiency of photoreduction of carbon dioxide to formic acid using a new artificial coenzyme
This research presentation was introduced in the following media.
- 8/3 The Chemical Daily
Professor Yutaka Amao of the Research Center for Artificial Photosynthesis and Project Assistant Professor Shusaku Ikeyama of the Institute for Advanced Research have succeeded in improving the efficiency of the photoreduction reaction of carbon dioxide to formic acid by using a new artificial coenzyme that introduces two amino groups (-NH2) into the chemical structure of biologens. A press release on this research was held on Tuesday, August 1, 2017 at the Research Center for Artificial Photosynthesis.
Prof. Amao explains his research
Press conference
Outline of Research
One of the key technologies for creating an artificial photosynthetic system that uses solar energy to convert carbon dioxide into organic molecules is the development of effective catalysts. In this research group, we have synthesized the activity of formic acid dehydrogenase, which is a catalyst that promotes the reaction to convert carbon dioxide into formic acid (fuel, chemical product, energy storage medium), by synthesizing a new molecule (DAV in the figure) that introduces two amino groups (-NH2) into the chemical structure of biologen, and using it as an artificial coenzyme. We have succeeded in improving the activity by 560 times compared to the case where natural coenzymes are used, which is the highest value so far.
In this study, as a result of using this artificial coenzyme in a photoredox system composed of a dye molecule (water-soluble porphyrin) and formic acid dehydrogenase to convert carbon dioxide into formic acid, the formic acid production rate was improved to twice that of the conventional artificial coenzyme methylbiologen after 1 hour of visible light irradiation, achieving the highest value reported so far.
This discovery is expected to greatly contribute to the design and development of catalysts for the realization of artificial photosynthesis systems that convert carbon dioxide into organic molecules in the future, and we are currently studying reaction conditions with the aim of further improving the efficiency of formic acid production.
Publication Information
| Publications: | Sustainable Energy ＆ Fuels |
|---|---|
| Title of Paper: | A novel electron carrier molecule based on viologen derivative for visible light-driven CO2 reduction to formic acid with the system of zinc porphyrin and formate dehydrogenase |
| Author: | Shusaku Ikeyama, Yutaka Amao |
| URL: | https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/se/c7se00255f |