This is a key step in creating synthetic sugar on a global scale, as reported by
Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.

The research that led to the development of this new method was conducted by the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, both under the auspices of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The team of scientists said the development of artificial “CO2-sugar” platforms is important to address land scarcity and climate change, which makes it difficult to produce and supply edible sugar.

“We present a versatile chemoenzymatic roadmap based on aldol condensation, iso/epimerisation and dephosphorylation reactions for the asymmetric assembly of CO2 and H2 into sugars with perfect stereocontrol,” said the scientists team.

This chemical-biological platform has demonstrated higher carbon conversion yields than the traditional “CO2-bioresource-sugar” process and can be easily scaled up for the precise synthesis of other high-order sugars from CO2.

Two years ago, the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology developed an artificial method to synthesise starch from CO2.

Exploring the concept of “artificial sugar from CO2” involves complex scientific and engineering challenges, but it promises to revolutionise the way we think about CO2 and the way we use it, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and resource-efficient future.

Photo: Xinhua News Agency