High performance catalyst for artificial photosynthesis

CNET News Canada University of Toronto released a message that researchers at the school successfully developed a new catalyst that will further promote the development of artificial photosynthesis, the use of solar energy or wind energy will be captured carbon emissions into chemical energy for the human response Climate change offers a double benefit approach with papers published in the recent Journal of Nature - Chemistry. To address the two challenges of carbon-capture technology being expensive and intermittent shortages of solar and wind energy, the team designed a simulation system that mimics plants and other photosynthetic organisms that use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into fuel that can be used as fuel molecular. The system consists of two connected chemical reactions: one that decomposes H2O into protons and oxygen and the other converts carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide can be converted to hydrocarbon fuel through the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. Over the past few years, research teams have developed very high-performance catalysts for both of these reactions, where the secondary reaction catalyst works under neutral conditions and the primary reaction catalyst requires high pH to reach Highest activity.

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