Solar Fuels from sunlight

Because of its intermittency, solar energy cannot be a primary energy source in a new energy future without energy storage on a massive scale. The only reasonable approach is chemistry and production of solar fuels with sunlight used to drive critical reactions such as water splitting into hydrogen and oxygen and water reduction of CO₂ to reduced carbon, ultimately as a source of transportation fuels. The critical elements in solar fuels production by natural and artificial photosynthesis are understood: light absorption, excited state electron transfer, vectorial electron/energy/proton transfer through free energy gradients, electron transfer activation of catalysis, and rapid catalysis of target half reactions. All of these elements are available in Dye Sensitized Photoelectrosynthesis Cells (DS PEC) driven by excited state electron or hole injection at semiconductor surfaces and a “modular” approach.

For more information contact Prof. Jake Soper (404-894-4022).