TIMELINE
1912: Artificial photosynthesis was first anticipated by the Italian chemist Giacomo Ciamician during 1912. (3)
2010: US Department of Energy initiative: The Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), founded in 2010, is a (DOE) Energy Innovation Hub whose primary mission is to find a cost-effective method to produce fuels using only sunlight, water, and carbon-dioxide.
2011: During 2011, Daniel Nocera and his research team announced the creation of the first practical artificial leaf. In a speech at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Nocera described an advanced solar cell the size of a poker card capable of splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen, approximately ten times more efficient than natural photosynthesis (4)
2011: State of the Union Address mentioned artificial photosynthesis being pursued at the Caltech University by President Obama (5)
2016: Limiting efficiency of water splitting was described (6)