In elementary science, we’ve learned that photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy into chemical energy by green plants and certain other organisms. This is what makes the plants grow, with the use of sunlight to synthesize food from carbon dioxide and water.
Now, researchers are looking at such process for solar fuel production, at what is regarded to be the ultimate clean energy. Solar fuel generated from artificial photosynthesis is produced with energy efficiency and carbon neutrality.
The only ingredients are sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. Theoretically, artificial photosynthesis is simple. But it is difficult to perform as it involves splitting water molecules with a catalyst activated by the sun, to produce solar fuel in the form of hydrogen gas or liquid hydrocarbons through the reduction of carbon dioxide.
Source: Giphy
One of the biggest challenges is finding the catalysts, which should be satisfy these three: effective, cheap, and abundant on Earth.
Other than that, scientists are figuring out how to harvest light the most efficient way possible, split a water molecule, store the chemical energy produced, and create an architecture which supports all the necessary component of the system.
Perhaps there is already a working system for that last challenge, developed by head of the chemistry department of Florida Institute of Technology, Michael Freund, and postdoctoral researcher from the same institution, Sakineh Chabi.
The two were able to develop an “artificial leaf”, or membranes with electronic properties that can be integrated with light absorber and catalysts.
Source: Florida Institute of Technology
With this system, it could reduce the impact of charge recombination, as well as reduce electrical resistances associated with ionic and electronic transport processes, thanks to the way components are integrated and spaced.
Freund simplified it to be a “battery in reverse,” which makes and releases fuel for collection instead of expending stored energy. These “artificial leaves” have the potential to separate each step of the conversion process while holding onto a significant amount of energy to make each chemical reaction efficient.
It is still far that solar fuel becomes a reality, because of the current progress of research.
“If we can reach these goals, the world would finally have a sustainable energy solution that could adequately fuel our growing population,” Freund said.
Source: Phys.org
