Debkishore Chakraborty/Kolkata

Dr. Matiar Rahman, a Bengali researcher at Cambridge University, is hailed as the “father of the artificial leaf”. He received this title for his pioneering innovation of a device that converts sunlight into liquid fuel while reducing carbon emissions.

Explaining his work, Rahman told the media: “Carbon dioxide is vital for photosynthesis in plants, but in excess it becomes dangerous—it’s one of the chief drivers of global warming. Humanity now faces both a climate crisis and an energy crisis. Fossil fuels are depleting fast. Our research aims to address both challenges at once.”

Many believe this breakthrough could play a decisive role in safeguarding Earth’s fragile environment. Yet, behind this extraordinary success lies a story of hardship, persistence, and unwavering determination.

Dr. Rahman was born into a lower-middle-class family where survival often outweighed comfort. His father worked either as a low-paid employee or as a daily labourer, while his mother managed the household. As a child, he often walked barefoot to school, studied from borrowed books, and read by the dim glow of a kerosene lamp in a house without electricity. There were days when the family survived on a single meal.

In his village, pursuing science was seen as impractical. Neighbours would often remark: “Study science and you’ll end up jobless.” Affording higher education was a formidable hurdle, and to continue his studies, Matiar took up tutoring and part-time jobs. Despite financial strain and social discouragement, he refused to give up.

Excelling at a government university in India, he won a scholarship that paved the way for studies abroad. Eventually, he secured admission into Cambridge University for research. But life overseas was far from easy. He struggled with a new language, culture, and climate, and at times also faced racial prejudice. Yet he endured with quiet resilience.

Through all these adversities, he continued his research and achieved a breakthrough: the development of the “artificial leaf,” a device that captures sunlight to generate renewable fuel. His life affirms a timeless truth: poverty cannot stop a dreamer who dares to dream. His story is not just one of scientific achievement but also an inspiration to countless young dreamers across the globe.

Human civilization now stands at a crossroads. Carbon dioxide levels are soaring, global warming is intensifying, summers are lengthening, glaciers are retreating, biodiversity is collapsing, and ecosystems are at risk. The greatest challenge of our era is to avert environmental catastrophe. Scientists worldwide are racing against time to find solutions, and among them is Bengali researcher Dr. Matiar Rahman, whose work offers fresh hope.

Alongside fellow scientist Subhajit Bhattacharya at Cambridge, Dr. Rahman has successfully created an Artificial Leaf that produces liquid fuel and oxygen using only sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. Their research was published in Nature Energy, a leading sub-journal of Nature.

A native of Kadamba village in Kalna, Bardhaman district, and an alumnus of Jadavpur University, Dr. Rahman now works under Professor Erwin Reisner, a Cambridge professor and Fellow of St. John’s College.

After schooling at Ambika Kalna Maharaja High School, he earned a Chemistry degree from Jadavpur University, completed his Master’s at IIT Madras, pursued his PhD at the University of Bern in Switzerland, and later joined Cambridge as a Marie Curie Fellow. Today, he is a Senior Scientist with the same university.

Discussing his breakthrough, Dr. Rahman explains: “Converting CO₂ into fuel usually requires huge amounts of energy, often from fossil fuels. But our method uses sunlight alone.” With atmospheric CO₂ now averaging around 424 ppm, he warns: “Unless we reduce this excess, global warming cannot be controlled. Our solution is to convert atmospheric CO₂ into fuel, offering an alternative to fossil fuels while ensuring net-zero emissions.”

The device mimics photosynthesis in nature. Just as leaves use sunlight, water, and CO₂ to produce sugar and oxygen, the artificial leaf uses sunlight and CO₂-dissolved water to produce liquid fuels—such as ethanol and propanol—alongside oxygen.

It consists of two core components: one side has a solar cell and a bimetallic catalyst that captures solar energy and breaks down CO₂ into fuel molecules, while the other side uses nanomaterials to split water into oxygen. Both processes run simultaneously, keeping the system electron-neutral. Simply immerse the device in CO₂-mixed water and expose it to sunlight, and it starts working.

Unlike earlier global attempts that required large amounts of external energy, often fossil-based, Dr. Rahman’s system relies directly on solar power. For the first time, scientists have produced multi-carbon liquid fuels through artificial photosynthesis, earning them publication in Nature. Dr. Rahman is the paper’s first author, with Professor Reisner as principal investigator.

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From a modest village school in Bengal to a pioneering laboratory in Cambridge, Matiar Rahman’s journey shows how dedication can change destinies. Reflecting on his path, he says: “At every stage—school, college, university, research—you must prepare yourself well. Step by step, nothing is impossible.”