Carbon Capture Techniques

Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are often much greater indoors than outdoors, a significant health problem in urban areas, where people spend more than 80 percent of their time inside residences, offices, and other buildings. Traditional CO2 mitigation techniques are becoming impractical as outdoor CO2 levels rise with global warming. This study shows in meticulous detail how innovative cyanobacterial artificial plants designed for enhanced indoor carbon capture and the direct use of captured CO2 to produce oxygen (O2) and enough bioelectricity to power portable electronics. The artificial plants use indoor light to stimulate cyanobacterial photosynthesis, effectively reducing indoor CO2 from 5000 ppm to 500 ppm—a reduction rate of 90%, significantly greater than the ~10% observed from natural plants alone. Concurrently, the system produces O2 and bioelectricity, offering an energy-efficient way to use captured CO2. Each artificial leaf contains five biological solar cells that generate electricity during photosynthesis. Water and nutrients are delivered to each cell through transpiration and capillary action, mimicking natural plant systems. The artificial plant produces an open circuit voltage of 2.7V and a maximum power of 140 µW, sufficient to power portable electronics. The approach presents a decentralized system for enhancing indoor air quality and generating electricity, providing a sustainable solution to indoor environmental challenges in the context of rising global CO2 levels.