Solar Fuels -CO₂ Photoconversion into Organic Compounds

We succeeded in the artificial photosynthesis that generates organic compounds, formic acid, from water and carbon dioxide using solar light without external energy and/or material sources, for the first time in the world.
This is a combination of two chemical reactions driven by solar energy, which are (1) extraction of electrons by H₂O oxidation and (2) reduction of CO₂ to convert it into organic compounds. We have newly developed the hybrid-photocatalyst for CO₂ reduction, which was composed of a semiconductor and metal complexes. The hybrid-photocatalyst was wired with another semiconductor, which is capable of H₂O oxidation. Our technology made a big leap for artificial photosynthesis, and it would be one of the key technologies for future carbon-neutral society.