An American breakthrough might provide a new approach to fuel production and reducing carbon emissions .

Researchers from the University of Illinois at   Chicago ( UIC ) have developed a solar jail cell that   can change atmospheric atomic number 6 dioxide into a cheap and useable hydrocarbon fuel , using only sunlight .

" The fresh solar cell is not photovoltaic   – it ’s photosynthetic , " said   Amin Salehi - Khojin , helper prof of mechanical and industrial applied science at UIC and older author on the study , in astatement .

" Instead of raise energy in an unsustainable one - way route from   dodo fuels   to nursery throttle , we can now reverse the process and reuse atmospheric atomic number 6 into fuel using sunlight . ”

The finding are reported inScience , and they showcase a technology that   could grow fuel at a price like to the current price of gasoline .

The cell behave in a similar way to a leaf . While plants convert CO2and light into atomic number 8 and sugars , the solar cell get Syngas , a blend for synthetical gas , a mixed bag of hydrogen and carbon copy monoxide that   can either be burned at once or converted into diesel engine or   other hydrocarbon fuels .

The technological winner was possible thanks to a nanoflake tungsten diselenide , a specially engineered catalyst which made the reaction 1,000 time faster and 20 times loud than using regular noble - metal catalysts .

" The new accelerator is more active ; more able-bodied to crack atomic number 6 dioxide ’s chemical substance bonds , " enunciate UIC postdoctoral researcher Mohammad Asadi , first generator on the report . The researchers have applied for a provisional patent for the technology .

There are about 1.2 billion motor vehicles around the world , which includes everything from minibike to heavy responsibility truck . Climate change is a clear and present terror to all of us , so we require to strive to move towards a renewable future tense but we require to be naturalistic on how to get there . Sustainable production of fuel , combine with skilful management of resource and energy efficiency , seems like a well-grounded strategy to move beyond fossil fuels .