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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 issues presented in previous methodologies.
New Silicon Solar Fuel Removes CO2 From the Atmosphere
Combining new semiconductor materials that convert CO2 into liquid fuel, the new silicon solar fuel from the scientists promises to be more powerful, simpler, and scalable than traditional methodologies.
Two studies were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, one with micropillars of silicon coated with super-hydrophobic fluorinated carbon, and another with thin chips of porous silicon combined with a molecular rhenium catalyst. The teams of scientists believe that the new methodology is promising in the development of alternative fuels capable of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
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Previous studies have shown that semiconductors are capable of transforming carbon dioxide (CO2) into liquid fuels, but commonly present instability problems and are unviable for large-scale production. The methodology to produce a silicon solar fuel at Yale, however, promises to be more powerful, simplified, and scalable.
Learn More About the Studies by Yale Scientists
In the first study, published in January of this year, the team developed an electrode made of a set of micropillars of silicon coated with super-hydrophobic fluorinated carbon, converting CO2 into methanol.
According to Bo Shang, co-author of the study, the published article demonstrated a remarkable increase of up to 17 times more catalytic activity than the previous record for silicon photoelectrodes.
The second research, published in March, involved thin chips of porous silicon combined with a molecular rhenium catalyst. When exposed to sunlight, the substance produced a chemical reaction that consistently and reproducibly transformed CO2 into CO, according to Xiaofan Jia, co-author of the second article. This enables the device to directly use solar light 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 Cambridge University, located in the United Kingdom, has developed a technique similar to this silicon solar fuel, creating an innovative technology that replicates the phenomenon of photosynthesis. This achievement allows the direct conversion of CO2, water, and sunlight into synthetic multi-carbon 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 for easy storage and transportation. Additionally, they have been designed to be compatible with conventional combustion vehicles and gas stations, requiring no modifications.
The group led by the Department of Chemistry of Yusuf Hamied has been dedicated for years to developing zero-emission synthetic fuels from carbon dioxide and water, using solar light energy.
They employ devices they call “artificial leaves” and follow a process that, in a way, imitates the photosynthesis of plants. Currently, this technology has only been achieved at the laboratory scale, but researchers have made significant progress in developing synthetic fuels that are intended to be the salvation for combustion engines.
Esses sistemas de utilizar o gás carbônico como combustível sintético é mera ilusão, pois ele é devolvido novamente ao ambiente e queira Deus que não seja mais potencialmente perigoso.
Para meus alunos sempre digo: 2109 – uma data simbólica estipulada por mim, o mundo que vivemos não existirá mais; dos 8 bi de habitantes de hoje, se sobrar 100 milhões serão muitos, não existe salvação para a vida na Terra, somos o último planeta vivo no universo se matando lentamente.