The conversion of light energy into applicable and useful, nonpolluting clean energy is one of the most important challenges in science. The first energy crisis in the early 1970s made the photochemical conversion and storage of solar energy a top priority concern.
Sunlight in the near-infrared, visible and ultraviolet regions give off a tremendous amount of energy and intensity, so that solar energy would contribute significantly to our electrical and chemical needs. It would, thus, be of great importance to develop effective systems able to absorb and operate efficiently under solar energy.
At least two systems have been considered for the conversion of sunlight into other energy sources:
1) Silicon solar cell that would convert sunlight into electricity that you read it in past post in this weblog
2) Artificial photosynthesis for the conversion and storage of solar energy into safe and useful chemical energy, e.g., for the photodecomposition of water to produce hydrogen.
The consumption of hydrogen will continue to increase dramatically in future, however, at this moment; we do not have any useful systems to produce hydrogen in an environmentally harmonious way so that such a clean and safe procedure from water can be considered vital to our future.
It is well recognized that alternatives to fossil-fuel-based energy are needed due to supply,environmental, and security issues. An alternative energy carrier being proposed is Hydrogen. However, the primary method of producing hydrogen as fuel involves stripping the hydrogen from hydrocarbons in a process called steam reforming. This process generates significant quantities of CO2, an undesirable greenhouse gas. Many researchers and also our Laboratory have been working to develop and improve a process termed photoelectrochemical hydrogen production.
This process has the potential to provide for economical and environmentally sound production of hydrogen by splitting water with sunlight using a semiconductor catalyst. However, the process,while proven, is currently not economical due to shortcomings in the semiconductor’s material properties. The researches are undegone and many interesting updates have released up to now.
Sunlight in the near-infrared, visible and ultraviolet regions give off a tremendous amount of energy and intensity, so that solar energy would contribute significantly to our electrical and chemical needs. It would, thus, be of great importance to develop effective systems able to absorb and operate efficiently under solar energy.
At least two systems have been considered for the conversion of sunlight into other energy sources:
1) Silicon solar cell that would convert sunlight into electricity that you read it in past post in this weblog
2) Artificial photosynthesis for the conversion and storage of solar energy into safe and useful chemical energy, e.g., for the photodecomposition of water to produce hydrogen.
The consumption of hydrogen will continue to increase dramatically in future, however, at this moment; we do not have any useful systems to produce hydrogen in an environmentally harmonious way so that such a clean and safe procedure from water can be considered vital to our future.
It is well recognized that alternatives to fossil-fuel-based energy are needed due to supply,environmental, and security issues. An alternative energy carrier being proposed is Hydrogen. However, the primary method of producing hydrogen as fuel involves stripping the hydrogen from hydrocarbons in a process called steam reforming. This process generates significant quantities of CO2, an undesirable greenhouse gas. Many researchers and also our Laboratory have been working to develop and improve a process termed photoelectrochemical hydrogen production.
This process has the potential to provide for economical and environmentally sound production of hydrogen by splitting water with sunlight using a semiconductor catalyst. However, the process,while proven, is currently not economical due to shortcomings in the semiconductor’s material properties. The researches are undegone and many interesting updates have released up to now.
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