He cast around for something he could make with an artificial leaf that would have a smaller environmental footprint compared to an existing product, and also compete when it comes to price. He landed on nylon, because it’s a valuable chemical that is popular in clothing for products like swimsuits or active wear. Companies now make nylon from crude oil; Modestino’s goal is to use the artificial leaf technology to make nylon and other chemicals using solar power and materials that can be grown.
“There have been tremendous developments, some of them pushing the artificial leaf concept forward and some of them branching out in directions that are different but leading to advances in many other different fields,” Modestino said, adding that the final goal is “abundant, inexpensive, renewable energy deployed everywhere across society.”
Chemist Dan Nocera inspired Modestino’s work by popularizing the…
