16.02.2015 change 16.02.2015

Truly green electricity straight from plants

Photo: Fotolia Photo: Fotolia

Plants might turn out to be small power plants, from which you can draw electricity. Polish scientists want to extract it using nanoparticles and transparent electrodes attached to the leaves. The first to supply electricity will be tobacco and thale cress.

"Plants produce the oxygen we breathe, provide food, they are the source of many drugs used in medicine. It is widely known. However, in recent years we have seen a great interest in the use of plants in the production of energy. The efforts of scientists are focused mainly on energy recovery from biofuels. This, however, is associated with the emission of toxic compounds, such as aromatic hydrocarbons produced in the combustion process" - said Dr. Magdalena Górecka from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW-WULS).

In her research project, she is looking for a way to obtain pure, environmental, green energy from plants. But where does the electricity come from in the plant? The researcher explained that the light that falls on the leaf, reaches chloroplasts in the cells of the plant. There, as a result of the action of the sun and the process of photosynthesis, oxygen is released from the water molecule, and then something else.

"It is an electron that is transferred between the structures inside the chloroplast, in chain, in a very orderly manner. Such an orderly flow of electric charge is the definition of electrical current - said Dr. Górecka. - In addition, we can control the electrical current in our plant. By increasing the light intensity we increase the release of electrons, and they will be transferred in the chloroplast quickly".

The question is: how to extract electric current from the plant? "It would seem that it\'s not difficult. We have to find something that will conduct the current, like a piece of wire, insert it into the plant, and then lead the wire out. However, this is not a good approach, because the wire may damage the cells and chloroplasts, and only a healthy chloroplast ensures an adequate flow of electrons" - explained the researcher.

Researchers from SGGW-WULS in cooperation with physicists and chemists from the University of Łódź instead of wires discharging electrons want to use tiny nanoparticles that will receive the charge from the chloroplast chain. They are going to test nanoparticles of different types. They already know that silver nanoparticles are not an option, because they are very toxic and harmful to plants.

"Once we select the nanoparticles that are able to receive electrons, we are halfway there. The next step is to construct a special electrode, which will receive the current. It will probably be the most difficult task in the project" - noted the researcher.

The electrode must be transparent, to provide plants with access natural light. It should not only adhere to the leaf surface, but also penetrate it, reaching the chloroplasts. "We already have an idea for the construction of the electrode using nanotechnology, but for now I cannot reveal too many details" - said Dr. Górecka.

It is still unclear exactly how much power you will get from one plant. Scientists want to be able to extract it over the entire lifetime of the leaf. "I do not expect our plants to become large power plants, but current obtained from them can be used, for example, to power smoke detectors in the woods" - explained the researcher.

Scientists begin with laboratory plants. The first attempts will be made with tobacco and thale cress. "When we start working on the electrode, we will look for plants that have the largest and smooth lead surface, to be able to adhere the electrode" - said Dr. Górecka.

Dr. Magdalena Górecka received PLN 100 thousand for her research, taking second place in the Inter competition of the Foundation for Polish Science.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland, Ewelina Krajczyńska

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