Arizona State University scientists say they have created a molecule that converts light into energy almost as efficiently as the natural process of photosynthesis and stores it the way a battery would.
The development one day could lead to new methods of harvesting solar energy, the chemists said."Nobody's going to put the kind of devices we're making now on their roof and start harvesting energy," said Devens Gust, a leader of the team from the university's Photosynthesis Research Center.
He said silicon solar cells already in use were much more practical for such purposes, but the microscopic ASU device may be suited to drive chemical reactions.
The researchers published the details of their work in the journal Science.
Gust said the researchers call the device a "pentad molecule" because of its five active parts. A critical factor in its success is its ability to change light into electrically charged chemicals and store the energy, he said.
The synthetic molecule can capture and store 83 percent as much energy as its natural counterparts, Gust said.