CO₂ Photoreduction by Formate Dehydrogenase and a Ru-Complex in a Nanoporous Glass Reactor

Abstract

In this study, we demonstrated the conversion of CO₂ to formic acid under ambient conditions in a photoreduction nanoporous reactor using a photosensitizer, methyl viologen (MV²⁺), and formate dehydrogenase (FDH). The overall efficiency of this reactor was 14 times higher than that of the equivalent solution. The accumulation rate of formic acid in the nanopores of 50 nm is 83 times faster than that in the equivalent solution. Thus, this CO₂ photoreduction nanoporous glass reactor will be useful as an artificial photosynthesis system that converts CO₂ to fuel.