Webinar: Biology taster lecture (artificial photosynthesis)

Session time: Wednesday 13 November, 11.10-11.55

There is huge potential for using sunlight, our most abundant and inexpensive energy source, as an economical clean energy supply to drive the sustainable production of chemicals. Natural photosynthesis in green plants provides a blueprint for such processes by using water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and complex organic chemicals with good selectivity. However, yields of single products are low and much of the solar spectrum is wasted. Synthetic materials can capture more of the energy in sunlight but they catalyse only the simplest of chemical reactions, for example, the reduction of water to form hydrogen gas – a useful fuel.

This webinar will explore how the limitations of using purely natural and purely synthetic materials for light-driven chemicals production may be overcome by combining biological and synthetic components to achieve artificial photosynthesis. Redox chemistry, catalysis and properties of transition metals will be considered together with natural photosynthesis as inspiration for research into artificial photosynthesis,

The webinar will be led by Julea Butt, Professor of Biophysical Chemistry at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. Her research team study the redox chemistry of biology and use their discoveries to inspire the development of sustainable electronic materials and artificial photosynthesis.

Suitable for: Key Stage 5 students (and equivalent) studying, or with a possible interest in studying, Biology, Chemistry and related STEM disciplines. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.

For details and to book your place, visit: 
https://www.channeltalent.co.uk/event/chemistry-biology-artificial-photosynthesis-interfacing-biology-synthetic-materials-for-sustainable-chemistry-with-professor-julea-butt-from-university-of-east-anglia/