Photosynthesis

The most important chemical equation in the world is the following: carbon dioxide plus water plus energy from sun equals sugar plus oxygen

(6 CO2) + (6 H20) + (674 calories) = (C6H1206) + (6 02).

This is photosynthesis, the manner in which green plants create organic food substance from carbon dioxide and water, in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll. Chlorophyll, which does not take part in the transformation, is nevertheless the catalyst or activating force which makes it possible. All animals, including man, get their sustenance directly or indirectly from the energy stored by green plants. Thus if it were not for the chemical reaction summarized in the above equation, no life on earth could exist.

When extracted from the plant, chlorophyll as a catalyst is no longer effective. Scores of laboratories working on the problem of imitating natural photosynthesis have tried other catalysts, but none works so efficiently as chlorophyll. Some ten years ago at the University of Liverpool, Professor Edward Charles Cyril Baly obtained formaldehyde, sugar and starch from carbon dioxide, water and artificial white light, using nickel oxide as a catalyst, but in tiny quantities and at low efficiencies.

At a science congress held last fortnight in Calcutta, Dr. Baly summarized this work, making some new additions to photosynthetic theory. Copyreaders in the U. S. slapped lyrical headlines like NATURE'S HARNESSING OF SUN IS DUPLICATED BY SCIENTIST on dispatches from Calcutta, but as chemists sifted the reports last week such statements seemed overenthusiastic. Specialists were more impressed by Dr. Baly's opinion that natural photosynthesis is carried out in two steps--the first in blue light of short wave length, the second in red light of long wave length.

There is no practical reason now for harnessing the sun's energy. But should the problem become urgent, because of depletion of the earth's supply of coal and oil, it would be possible to use huge shallow tanks of water and carbon dioxide for solar power plants if a catalyst as good as or better than chlorophyll could be found. Meanwhile Dr. Baly is considered in many quarters to be the world's leader in artificial photosynthesis of organic substances.

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