Artificial photosynthesis for solar fuels, one of the most important pathways to address energy and environmental issues, has given rise to extensive attentions. Natural photosynthesis that conducts an efficient solar-to-chemical energy conversion has been the inspiration for developing artificial photosynthetic systems for solar fuel production. Based on the scientific issues of natural and artificial photosynthesis, in this article we first review the primary process of solar conversion and CO₂ fixation of natural photosynthesis. Then we focus on the natural-artificial hybrid system which integrates photosynthetic protein, enzyme and whole cell of artificial materials for solar fuel production. Through the coupling of natural and artificial photosynthesis, we reveal the fundamental of solar energy conversion in natural photosynthesis, which can provide us insights into the development of efficient artificial photosynthetic systems.

photosynthesis  /  artificial photosynthesis  /  solar fuels