Boston College chemists produce power boost critical to novel energy harvesting applications
Chemists at Boston College have achieved a series of breakthroughs in their efforts to develop an economical means of harnessing artificial photosynthesis by narrowing the voltage gap between the two crucial processes of oxidation and reduction, according to their latest research, published this week in the journalĀ Angewandte Chemie.
The team reports it has come within two-tenths of the photovoltage required to mimic oxidation and reduction respectively using unique photoanodes and photocathodes the team developed using novel nanowire components and coatings. Narrowing the gap using economical chemical components, the group moves researchers closer to using the man-made reaction for unique applications such as solar energy harvesting and storage.
“Many researchers have been trying to harvest solar energy and directly store it in chemical bonds,” said lead author Dunwei Wang, an associate professor of chemistry at Boston College. “Solar panels can harvest energy, but economical storage has remained elusive. We are trying to borrow a page from Mother Nature whereby photosynthesis produces energy from the sun and stores it.”
But copying Mother Nature is a tall order and this particular quest “requires materials that can absorb sunlight broadly, transfer the energy to excited charges at high efficiencies and catalyze specific reduction and oxidation reactions,” the team writes in the article “Hematite-Based Water Splitting with Low Turn-on Voltage.”
Natural photosynthesis consists of two important processes. Oxidation produces oxygen gas. Reduction produces organic molecules. Wang said artificial photosynthesis, also known as water splitting, tries to copy these two reactions using a photoanode to oxidize water and a photocathode to either reduce water for hydrogen production or to reduce carbon dioxide for organic molecules.
But in an artificial environment, a gap has persisted in the voltage required on either side of the reaction in order achieve these results, Wang said. In essence, oxidation and reduction require 1.2 to 1.3 volts combined to achieve the charge required to power artificial photosynthesis.
Previously, only rare materials allowed researchers bridge the gap, but those efforts are prohibitively expensive for widespread application. Wang and his lab have spent the past two years searching for inexpensive alternatives to bridge the voltage gap.
Earlier this year, the lab reported it had developed a new cathode preparation technique to improve hydrogen production. The findings removed most of the barriers to constructing an inexpensive, yet highly efficient photocathode, Wang said.
The team’s latest research produced advances in photoanode development, where their engineered nanowire structures enabled the team to achieve a photovoltage of .6 volts using an iron oxide material. The voltage represents a 50 percent increase above the best prior results, which were reported last year. The results put Wang and his team within two-tenths of a volt of the necessary photovoltage.
The team achieved the gains by coating hematite, an iron oxide similar to rust, with nickel iron oxide.
Already, the team has yielded more than 1 volt of power when combined with the photocathode they developed earlier this year, said Wang, whose team included post-doctoral researcher Xiaogang Yang, graduate students Chun Du, Matthew T. Mayer and Jin Xie, undergraduates Henry Hoyt and Gregory Bischoping and Gregory McMahon, a nanolithography and electron microscopy manager at BC’s Nanofabrication Clean Room.
“Our system, made of oxygen, silicon and iron ā three of the four most abundant elements on earth ā can now provide more than 1 volt of power together,” said Wang. “Now we are just two-tenths of a volt short on the photoanode. That’s a significant narrowing of the gap.”
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Artificial photosynthesis
- Alien Life Could Be Purple Instead Of Popular Green, New Study Suggests
Imagine looking up at the sky and seeing a world unlike any you've ever known. Instead of the familiar green landscapes of Earth, this planet is covered in shades of purple. It sounds like something ...
- Making crops colorful for easier weeding by robots
To make weeding easier, scientists suggest bioengineering crops to be colorful or to have differently shaped leaves so that they can be more easily distinguished from their wild and weedy counterparts ...
- Chemistry researchers modify solar technology to produce a less harmful greenhouse gas
and informed by a process called artificial photosynthesis, which mimics how plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into energy-rich molecules. Carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas ...
- Artificial Photosynthesis: A Game Changer for Clean Energy
that brings us a step closer to the day carbon dioxide could be used as a resource.
- Is Artificial Photosynthesis the Next Source of Renewable Energy?
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy, inspiring sustainable energy solutions. Artificial photosynthesis aims to imitate the process of photosynthesis to ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Artificial photosynthesis
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Artificial photosynthesis” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Energy harvesting
- What’s that?…A fuel cell that harvests energy from…dirt?
A soil microbial fuel cell where microbes in dirt could power applications which are literally “in the field”.
- Engineers develop innovative battery technology that could change the future of remote devices: 'An integrated device that could harvest ambient thermal energy'
With simple increases and decreases in temperature, the new battery can generate enough charge for practical applications in many industries. Engineers develop innovative battery technology that could ...
- Ultrawine Perseo, a System for Early Harvests Capable of Preventing Green Harvesting
Ultrawine Perseo has been created so wineries that need it can manage early harvests to obtain lower alcohol content without compromising the polyphenol ...
- Saudi Arabia Energy Harvesting System Market Focus Group Alchemy Transforming Conversations into Strategic Gold
Request To Download Free Sample of This Strategic Report @ https://reportocean.com/industry-verticals/sample-request?report_id=SA1478 The report covers market ...
- This salt battery harvests osmotic energy where the river meets the sea
Estuaries -- where freshwater rivers meet the salty sea -- are great locations for birdwatching and kayaking. In these areas, waters containing different salt concentrations mix and may be sources of ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Energy harvesting
[google_news title=”” keyword=”energy harvesting” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]