Chinese scientists synthesize sugar from CO2
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Chinese scientists cross a new milestone in artificial sugar synthesis by successfully producing sugar from carbon dioxide.
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Associate researcher Yang Jiangang experiments in a laboratory of the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Tianjin, north China, Aug. 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Chinese scientists have made a significant breakthrough in the field of artificial sugar synthesis by successfully producing sugar from carbon dioxide in a controlled laboratory environment. This achievement marks a crucial milestone in the development of artificial sugar production.
The breakthrough, which was the result of over two years of meticulous research, was accomplished through the collaborative efforts of teams from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics. The findings of their research were published in the Chinese Science Bulletin, a respected multidisciplinary academic journal.
Sugar is not only a vital energy source for the human body but also a fundamental raw material for industrial fermentation processes. Conventionally, sugar is obtained by extracting it from crops like sugar cane. However, the efficiency of this traditional extraction method is limited by the energy conversion rate of plant photosynthesis. Moreover, challenges such as uncertain raw material supplies due to factors like land degradation, ecosystem decline, extreme weather events, and global warming-induced natural disasters have impacted the sugar extraction process.
In response to these challenges, the scientific community has been devotedly exploring artificial sugar synthesis in recent years, with contributions from researchers around the world.
In their latest research endeavor, Chinese scientists finely tuned the reaction solution by adjusting high-concentration carbon dioxide and other raw materials according to specific proportions. Leveraging both chemical catalysts and enzyme catalysts, they successfully synthesized four types of sugars: glucose, allulose, tagatose, and mannose.
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Remarkably, the experiment only took about 17 hours, significantly less than the time required for traditional sugar extraction methods. Yang Jiangang, the lead author of the paper and an associate researcher at the Tianjin Institute, reported that the sugar synthesis efficiency achieved in this study was 0.67 grams per liter per hour. This figure is more than ten times higher than previous global benchmarks.
Yang further highlighted that the carbon dioxide-to-sugar conversion rate for glucose reached an impressive 59.8 nanomoles of carbon per milligram of catalyst per minute. This achievement sets a new standard for artificial sugar production on both domestic and international fronts. Additionally, the research team achieved precise control over the process of artificial sugar synthesis. Yang explained that by manipulating the catalytic effects of different enzymes, it becomes theoretically feasible to synthesize virtually any type of sugar.
Renowned scientist Manfred Reetz, a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, praised the study, emphasizing the challenge of converting carbon dioxide into sugars. He emphasized that the accomplishment by Chinese scientists has unveiled a versatile, multifaceted, and efficient pathway for sugar synthesis, ultimately paving the way for advancements in the realm of green chemistry.
This achievement holds the potential to revolutionize sugar production processes, contributing to the field of green chemistry by introducing a method that operates under normal temperature and pressure conditions, resulting in minimal to no generation of harmful substances.
