Journal
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
Volume 11, Issue 12, Pages 1010-1019Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/NNANO.2016.194
Keywords
-
Funding
- National Science Foundation Center for Chemical Innovation
- Department of Energy Office of Basic Energy Sciences
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Department of Energy through the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
An artificial photosynthetic system that directly produces fuels from sunlight could provide an approach to scalable energy storage and a technology for the carbon-neutral production of high-energy-density transportation fuels. A variety of designs are currently being explored to create a viable artificial photosynthetic system, and the most technologically advanced systems are based on semiconducting photoelectrodes. Here, I discuss the development of an approach that is based on an architecture, first conceived around a decade ago, that combines arrays of semiconducting microwires with flexible polymeric membranes. I highlight the key steps that have been taken towards delivering a fully functional solar fuels generator, which have exploited advances in nanotechnology at all hierarchical levels of device construction, and include the discovery of earth-abundant electrocatalysts for fuel formation and materials for the stabilization of light absorbers. Finally, I consider the remaining scientific and engineering challenges facing the fulfilment of an artificial photosynthetic system that is simultaneously safe, robust, efficient and scalable.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available