joshbyard:Carbon Nanotubes Increase Efficiency Photosynthesis 49% in Bionic PlantsChemical engineers
joshbyard:Carbon Nanotubes Increase Efficiency Photosynthesis 49% in Bionic PlantsChemical engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that when injected with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), chloroplasts can be coaxed to photosynthesize more efficiently than normal.The first phase of photosynthesis, referred to commonly as the “light reactions,” involves excitation of pigments and the subsequent transport of electrons between multiple photosystems. The researchers used this flow of electrons as a measurement for the rate of photosynthesis and found that when the nanotubes were present the flow increased by 49 percent.Chlorophyll, the pigment normally found in chloroplasts, can only absorb a small fraction of the light entering a plant, most of which resides in the 400 to 500-nanometer and 600 to 700-nanometer range. Although the researchers cannot yet offer an explanation for why carbon nanotubes would enhance the efficiency of chloroplasts, the team theorizes that it may be due to a broadening of this range. SWNTs are known to absorb light in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectra.(via Bionically Enhanced Chloroplasts Boost Photosynthesis and Spawn a New Field - IEEE Spectrum) -- source link
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