Artificial plants that purify indoor air & generate electricity

Binghamton University Professor Seokheun “Sean” Choi and PhD student Maryam Rezaie are adapting their work on bacteria-powered biobatteries to develop a concept for artificial plants capable of consuming carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen, and producing a small amount of electricity. These artificial plants utilize indoor light to facilitate photosynthesis, resulting in a remarkable 90% decrease in carbon dioxide levels, a significant improvement compared to the 10% reduction achieved by natural plants.

Using five biological solar cells and their photosynthetic bacteria, Choi and Rezaie created an artificial leaf “for fun,” then realized the concept has wider implications. They built the first plant with five leaves, then tested its carbon dioxide capture rates and oxygen generation capability.

Although power generation around 140 microwatts is a secondary benefit, Choi hopes to improve the technology to achieve a minimum output of more than 1 milliwatt.

Additionally, he desires to incorporate an energy storage solution, such as lithium-ion batteries or supercapacitors.