Plants harness quantum physics to capture solar energy with near-perfect efficiency. Scientists are now exploring how to apply this to next-gen renewable energy tech.
Photosynthesis, the process plants use to convert sunlight into energy, relies on an incredibly efficient energy transfer system. Before light can be transformed into chemical energy, it must first be captured and transported — a process that happens almost instantly and with minimal energy loss.
A new study from the Chair of Dynamic Spectroscopy at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) reveals that quantum mechanical effects play a crucial role in this energy transfer. Through precise measurements and simulations, a research team led by Erika Keil and Professor Jürgen Hauer uncovered how these quantum effects contribute to the efficiency of photosynthesis.
Nature’s Quantum Secret for Storing Solar Energy
Harnessing solar energy efficiently and storing it as chemical energy has long been a challenge for engineers. However, nature solved this problem billions of years ago. A new study reveals that quantum mechanics isn’t just a concept for physicists — it also plays a crucial role in biological processes.
Green plants and other photosynthetic organisms use quantum mechanics to capture and transfer sunlight with remarkable efficiency. As Professor Jürgen Hauer explains, “When light is absorbed in a leaf, for example, the electronic excitation energy is distributed over several states of each excited chlorophyll molecule; this is called a superposition of excited states. It is the first stage of an almost loss-free energy transfer within and between the molecules and makes the efficient onward transport of solar energy possible. Quantum mechanics is therefore central to understanding the first steps of energy transfer and charge separation.”
Unlocking the Mysteries of Chlorophyll’s Energy Transfer
This process, which cannot be understood satisfactorily by classical physics alone, occurs constantly in green plants and other photosynthetic organisms, such as photosynthetic bacteria. However, the exact mechanisms have still not been fully elucidated. Hauer and first author Erika Keil see their study as an important new basis in the effort to clarify how chlorophyll, the pigment in leaf green, works.
Applying these findings in the design of artificial photosynthesis units could help to utilize solar energy with unprecedented efficiency for electricity generation or photochemistry.
The Role of Quantum Coupling in Energy Transport
For the study, the researchers examined two specific sections of the spectrum in which chlorophyll absorbs light: the low-energy Q region (yellow to red spectral range) and the high-energy B region (blue to green). The Q region consists of two different electronic states that are quantum mechanically coupled. This coupling leads to loss-free energy transport in the molecule. The system then relaxes through “cooling,” i.e. by releasing energy in the form of heat. The study shows that quantum mechanical effects can have a decisive influence on biologically relevant processes.
Reference: “Reassessing the role and lifetime of Qx in the energy transfer dynamics of chlorophyll a” by Erika Keil, Ajeet Kumar, Lena Bäuml, Sebastian Reiter, Erling Thyrhaug, Simone Moser, Christopher D. P. Duffy, Regina de Vivie-Riedle and Jürgen Hauer, 27 November 2024, Chemical Science.
DOI: 10.1039/D4SC06441K
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6 Comments
I am absolutely fascinated by Quantum mechanics and Quantum entanglement. Having been a plant enthusiast all my life it is amazing that we might now be able to copy the process of photosynthesis to convert light into food or light energy to convert industrial wastes into plastics.
I am so interested in learning more about Quantum mechanics and how we can emulate nature in creating green energy sources.
Not a good description, according to wikipedia the efficiency of plant photosynthesis is very low, about 3 percent at best. More light than a certain threshold does not at all contribute at all. Besides, sugars are a low form of energy compared to electricity. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthetic_efficiency
Actually, Wiki’ says 3-6%. However, your point is valid about the efficiency being low, in contrast to the claims in this article. I did a global search for “effien” in the original article (DOI link) and got three hits. However, none of them defined efficiency or even discussed what went into the consideration of efficiency.
Thanks Adriaan for catching that. “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
Wrong 1. WARP/Schrodinger (dynamic) superfluidity convergence magic ingredient 2. Superposition = nucleate structures. 3. O2 serving as electron shedding catalyst 4. Enumerated Boltzman (sun) photon couple (zero heat) 5. Blackbulb solar radiation conjunctively indepedent 6. XXXXX Charles j
In the light-independent reaction, the energy molecules produced by the light-dependent reaction are used to produce even more energy molecules. Carbon dioxide is transformed into glucose.