Nanopartículas de prata aumentam em 30 por cento o crescimento das algas usadas para produzir combustível

(Notícia em Inglês)
While fusion power remains one of the most promising long-term power goals, another optimal future energy source may be algae. Syracuse University’s Radhakrishna Sureshkumar, professor and chair of biomedical and chemical engineering describes, "Algae produce triglycerides, which consist of fatty acids and glycerin. The fatty acids can be turned into biodiesel while the glycerin is a valuable byproduct."

In the future, farms of algae tanks may provide affordable fuel capable of sustaining the auto industry without switching to scarce rare earth metals or radical redesigns. However, a key challenge is to maximize algae growth and minimize the growth of parasitic organisms.

Green algae uses electro-active pigments Chlorophyll a and b, along with carotenoids, to capture sunlight. That capture covers a very specific range of the visible light, namely the blue-violet spectrum. By targeting them with that specific light, their growth can be sped up, while other types of undesirable photosynthetic microbes can be eliminated.

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