Could Fake Plants One Day Be Able To Do Photosynthesis In Your Home?

A lot of people who buy artificial plants online recognize these products as faux, fake, and incapable of behaving like a plant beyond the look.

They’re not wrong.

…But that might be changing.

A key process behind how plants work is with photosynthesis. That is, plants take sunlight and absorb carbon dioxide while outputting oxygen as a by-product. A faux plant can’t do that presently, however, researchers have found ways to create artificial photosynthesis in such a manner that it’s not entirely unrealistic to think one day a creation such as an artificial olive tree could be equipped to do photosynthesis.

Benefits Of Artificial Photosynthesis

Though faux plants are stylish, they don’t produce clean air. Real plants do. If we were able to have artificial plants capable of artificial photosynthesis, this could help homes, companies, countries, and the world achieve net carbon emissions without having to change much.

There are several research teams that are looking at creating photosynthesis but the one highlighted here is led by Dr. Hyung Suk Oh and Dr. Woong Hee Lee of the Clean Energy Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology and with Dr. Jae Soo Yoo of Kyung Hee University.

What this team has been able to do is convert carbon dioxide, using sunlight, into high-value compounds a la ethylene and ethanol. Though this has only been done in a laboratory environment, if one were to apply this to practical situations, such as with a fake plant, it’s just finding the right equation and a system in which to capture such a by-product.

It is more likely that by the time this tech reaches consumers, it will be driven less by these compounds and more associated with oxygen production. Thereby, a faux plant like a Bird of Paradise plant could reduce toxicity in the air and help filter it – something which could be extremely beneficial in basements, attics, business centers, and low-light areas.

What Does The Future Of Faux Plants Look Like?

Tech has hit so many other industries and products yet artificial plants have somehow been separate of this revolution. That’s one day going to change and with artificial photosynthesis is how we see it happening.

There is no doubt that the future of fake plants is one that incorporates technology. It is just a matter of when.

Something like a large faux Hawaii palm tree being able to absorb toxins and produce oxygen would be a game-changer. Adopted on a widespread basis, this could help communities all across the world breathe cleaner air, especially in developing cities where pollution regulations are more relaxed.

Furthermore, we know we already have the solar batteries to power such a process. In time, premium artificial plants from brands like Artiplanto.eu may see some fairly big changes in perception as an eco-friendly alternative to cheaper fake plants and potentially with more advantages than adopting a real plant. As a leader in the faux plant space, this future is something we are very much looking forward to taking part in.