New Journal of Chemistry

Guaiazulene is a compound that gives off a beautiful blue colour, and it is often found in topical creams for skincare. It has also been touted as a potential food coloring agent. Yet this has been stymied because of its poor water solubility and color degradation under acidic conditions. A group of researchers overcame this common stumbling block by introducing guaiazulene into a hydrophilic poly(allylamine).

Researchers at Osaka City University produce malic acid, which contains 4 carbon atoms, through artificial photosynthesis by simply adding metal ions like aluminum and iron. This solves a problem with current artificial photosynthesis technology of only producing molecules with 1 carbon atom and paves the way to exploring the use of CO2 as a raw material.

The group clarified for the first time whether formate dehydrogenase reduces carbon dioxide, biocarbonate ion, or carbonate ion to formic acid. Points to a catalyst in developing and designing an artificial photosynthesis system that efficiently converts carbon dioxide into organic molecules.