/technologies/industrial-automation-space/b/blog/posts/epfl-scientists-develop-an-artificial-leaf-with-oxygen-production-capabilitiesEPFL scientists demonstrate an artificial leaf that produces oxygen from water, solar energy, and semiconducting polymers. (Image Credit: LMNO/EPFL) Photosynthesis, which isn&#39;t efficient for plants, involves converting water and sunlight int...en-USTelligent Community 12https://community.element14.com/technologies/industrial-automation-space/b/blog/posts/epfl-scientists-develop-an-artificial-leaf-with-oxygen-production-capabilitiesMon, 28 Jun 2021 20:51:36 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:e83c1909-caf1-497f-89c5-ffacbccdec60dougw0<p>I don&#39;t quite get it. Partly because the explanation is simplified. (I probably wouldn&#39;t get it if the explanation was much more complicated either)</p><p>Photosynthesis (simplified) converts carbon dioxide plus water into sugar plus oxygen.</p><p>The process above seems a long way from photosynthesis.</p><p>If it is extracting oxygen from water then there would be a hydrogen by-product and it would be equivalent to electrolysis.</p><p>More efficient electrolysis would be useful, if that is what is going on.</p><p>If it is extracting the oxygen from the polymer, then it would deplete the polymer and use it up.</p><img src="https://community.element14.com/aggbug?PostID=11544&AppID=141&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">