The Light Reactions of Photosynthesis as a Paradigm for Solar Fuel Production

The overall process of photosynthesis can be deconstructed into four distinct stages, each of which can be mimicked as a first step towards developing robust, integrated, supra-molecular systems or devices capable of using solar energy to produce a reduced product, fuel. This process is necessary because natural photosynthesis is rather inefficient. In this short review we outline the steps that would be required to produce systems capable of using solar energy to make fuels more efficiently. It is emphasised that these aims will require an extended multi-disciplinary effort that will undoubtedly involve close collaboration between academic and industrial scientists.