Nanotechnology to harness sunlight to create solar fuel

09/08/2011

Researchers from the Universities of East Anglia, York, Nottingham and Manchester are using nanotechnology 100,000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair to try and solve the world’s looming energy crisis.

Scientists are working to build a solar 'nanocell’ that will use the sun’s energy to make green fuels and chemicals for industry.

Researchers from the Universities of East Anglia, York, Nottingham and Manchester are using nanotechnology 100,000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair to try and solve the world’s looming energy crisis.

The consortium has already found a way to produce hydrogen from water using the 'solar-nano’ device, which has potentially revolutionary applications in the green car market. Now they are looking at how to use the same technology to create alternatives for other fuels and feedstock chemicals, including turning methane into liquid methanol and carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide.

"Our sun provides far more energy than we will ever need, but we use it really inefficiently," said Professor Wendy Flavell, from The University of Manchester’s Photon Science Institute. "To make better use of the fantastic resource we have in our sun, we need to find out how to create solar fuel that can be stored and shipped to where it is needed and used on demand."

The sun holds enough power in one hour to supply the world’s entire energy needs for a year. However, renewable technologies like solar panels cannot store energy from the sun. Flavell and her fellow scientists are researching how to create solar fuel that can overcome this problem.

How it works

At the heart of the project are two types of light-absorber – tiny clusters of semiconducting material that absorb sunlight called 'quantum dots’ and porphyrin molecules, like those involved in photosynthesis.

When sunlight is absorbed, carriers of electric current are created. Together with catalyst molecules grafted to the surfaces of the dots, these create the green fuel.

The scientists are presenting their research at the Royal Society’s annual Summer Science Exhibition which opens today.

greenwisebusiness.co.uk

Same Category

Energy saving tips for your winter

04/10/2024

Clean energy brings stable electricity supply to Truong Sa Archipelago 02/11/2022
Energy shifting towards a green economy 07/10/2021
Reduce your energy bills this fall with these tips 28/09/2021
Looking to save on your energy bill? Here are some easy tips 28/09/2021

10 ways to save water at home 26/09/2021

As we face these effects of climate change, conserving water becomes increasingly important. Saving water also means saving money; the average American family spends more than $1,000 on water a year, which can be diminished significantly by addressing the way we use water in our daily lives.
Saving electricity – Practical tips that cut through the noise 26/09/2021

Power is essential for lighting and running appliances at homes and in businesses. With its ever-increasing costs, consumers constantly compare electricity in addition to other practical ways to save electricity.
Energy saving tips for the home – 7 ways to lower your bills 26/09/2021

Worried about soaring gas prices? Our energy saving tips for the home are a great way to lower gas and electricity bills and save precious cash
Quantum chemists conjure recipe to turn gold, silver and copper into vessels of green energy 23/09/2021

Quantum chemists believe gold, silver and copper could help the world take a leap towards green energy after discovering that compounds based on these metal elements and hydrogen are very promising candidates for hydrogen storage.
As heating bills go up, put your energy into keeping costs down 16/09/2021

With wholesale energy prices soaring, millions of householders will face bigger bills next month. But there are ways to save.
5 easy ways to improve energy efficiency 16/09/2021

In addition to navigating a deadly pandemic, improving energy efficiency is likely the top priority for today’s building owners facing costly, mandatory retrofits by 2025.
How to solve the investment puzzle of clean energy transitions in the developing world 19/02/2021

This article looks into three areas where efforts are needed to accelerate investments in clean energy transitions
Viet Nam News Economy Lessons from solar: Rush to invest in wind power plants to get high tariffs could overload grid 09/02/2020

The rush to invest in wind energy to take advantage of the Government's pricing incentives could lead to overloading of the national grid in a repeat of the solar scenario, experts warn.