The article seems to indicate this is electrically powered, not powered by light. Where's the photosynthesis? First they make electricity, then they crack water into oxygen and hydrogen, then they combine the hydrogen and C02 to make hydrocarbons. If you've got electricity, why make fuel? That's wasteful.
Not only that, but if you read the paper, their system is not sustainable, the components break down pretty fast. Then there is this little detail that IPA is not really a useful fuel. So a lot of PR, but not that much to show for.
And my read from the first version of that "leaf", which isn't a leaf at all, is that the original goal was to go after hydrogen generation, but since the hydrogen economy is not trendy anymore,then have a new twist on it...
Science journal is now more about how many clicks they are getting than the actual quality and novelty of the work.
