Scientists create new silicon solar fuel that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Innovative: US researchers create silicon solar fuel capable of capturing CO2 from the atmosphere.

Scientists at Yale University in Connecticut, USA, have developed a new sustainable methodology capable of using silicon photoelectrodes to transform carbon dioxide (CO2) into a new silicon solar fuel. The method combines new molecular catalysts to solve stability problems presented in previous methodologies.

New silicon solar fuel can remove CO2 from the atmosphere

Uniting new semiconductor materials that turn CO2 into liquid fuel, scientists' new silicon solar fuel promises to be more powerful, simpler and scalable than traditional methodologies.

Two studies were published in Journal of the American Chemical Society, one with silicon micropillars coated with superhydrophobic fluorinated carbon, and the other with thin porous silicon wafers combined with a rhenium molecular catalyst. The teams of scientists believe that the new methodology holds promise in developing alternative fuels capable of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Previous studies have shown that materials semiconductors They are capable of transforming carbon dioxide (CO2) into liquid fuels, but they commonly present instability problems and are unfeasible for large-scale production. Yale's methodology for producing silicon solar fuel, however, promises to be more powerful, simplified and scalable.

Learn more about the studies of Yale scientists

In the first study, which was published in January this year, the team developed an electrode made up of a set of silicon micropillars coated with superhydrophobic fluorinated carbon, converting CO2 into methanol.

According to Bo Shang, co-author of the study, in the published article it was possible to see a notable increase of up to 17 times more catalytic activity than the previous record for silicon photoelectrodes.

The second research, published in March, involved thin wafers of porous silicon combined with a rhenium molecular catalyst. Upon contact with sunlight, the substance produced a chemical reaction that transformed CO2 into CO in a consistent and reproducible way, according to Xiaofan Jia, co-author of the second article. This enables the device to directly use the sunlight energy to produce a new fuel.

The new methodology for producing a silicon solar fuel described in the studies is promising for the development of revolutionary alternative fuels capable of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. For Eleanor Stewart-Jones, co-author of the second research, scientists are finding new ways to improve or increase reactivity.

Cambridge scientists develop similar technique

A group of scientists from the University of Cambridge, located in the United Kingdom, developed a technique similar to this using silicon solar fuel, creating an innovative technology that replicates the phenomenon of photosynthesis. This achievement enables the direct conversion of CO2, water and sunlight into multi-carbon synthetic fuel such as ethanol and propanol, all in a single process.

These innovative fuels, which are still in the experimental phase, have a high energy density, allowing them to be stored and transported easily. Furthermore, they were developed to be compatible with conventional combustion vehicles and gas stations, requiring no modifications.

The group led by Yusuf Hamied's Department of Chemistry has been dedicated for years to developing zero-emission synthetic fuels from carbon dioxide and water, using the energy of sunlight. 

Devices called “artificial leaves” are used and follow a process that, in a way, imitates plant photosynthesis. At the moment, this technology has only been achieved on a laboratory scale, but researchers have taken a big step in developing synthetic fuels that are intended to be the salvation of combustion engines.