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Researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed a first-of-kind device that converts sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into carbon-neutral fuel. This conversion takes place without requiring any additional components or electricity. This device is a major step towards achieving artificial photosynthesis, which is a process mimicking the ability of plants to convert sunlight into energy. The device is based on an advanced \u2018photosheet\u2019 technology and converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and formic acid which is a storable fuel that can be either be used directly or be converted into hydrogen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the report in the journal New Energy, the results represent a brand new method to convert CO2 (carbon dioxide) into clean fuels. The production of this device can be scaled up to be used on energy \u2018farms\u2019 similar to solar farms, producing clean fuel using sunlight and water. \u201cIt\u2019s been difficult to achieve artificial photosynthesis with a high degree of selectivity, so that you\u2019re converting as much of the sunlight as possible into the fuel you want, rather than be left with a lot of waste,\u201d said first author Dr Qian Wang from Cambridge\u2019s Department of Chemistry. \u201cIn addition, storage of gaseous fuels and separation of by-products can be complicated \u2014 we want to get to the point where we can cleanly produce a liquid fuel that can also be easily stored and transported,\u201d said Professor Erwin Reisner, the paper\u2019s senior author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This new wireless device is sturdy and produces clean fuel that is easier to store and shows potential for producing fuel products at scale. The size of the test unit is 20 square centimetres, however, the researchers believe that it should be relatively straightforward to scale it up to several square meters. Moreover, the formic acid can be accumulated in solution, and be chemically converted into different types of fuel. \u201cWe were surprised how well it worked in terms of its selectivity \u2014 it produced almost no by-products,\u201d said Wang. \u201cSometimes things don\u2019t work as well as you expected, but this was a rare case where it actually worked better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n