Dr Alison Foster, a former chemist and Senior Curator at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden explains the principals of natural photosynthesis that the Armstrong Group is trying to mimic in the lab.

Chemistry for the Future: Solar Fuels

Photosynthesis in Nature

It was here in Oxford, in the 1600s, that great minds such as Hooke, Boyle, Willis and Wren laid the foundations of modern experimental science. Like their famous forebears, today's Oxford scientists continue to undertake world-leading research: making fundamental new discoveries and applying cutting-edge knowledge to the major societal and technological challenges of the day. The research happening right now in the Department of Chemistry is uniquely poised to have a major impact on everything from our health to our energy sources - in other words, it is enabling our shared future. To read more about our research, please visit http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/researchthemes.asp. This series focuses on a potential solution to the energy crisis: using artificial photosynthesis to generate 'clean' hydrogen fuel from sunlight and water. This interdisciplinary research incorporates elements of chemistry and biology, and aims to mimic and improve processes used in nature by green plants and pathogenic bacteria. Armstrong Group: http://armstrong.chem.ox.ac.uk/ Solar Fuels: http://solarfuels.tumblr.com/ This research was also featured at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition 2013 http://sse.royalsociety.org/2013/exhibits/solar-fuels/

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Chemistry for the Future: Solar Fuels