A team of researchers from University of Cambridge have developed a wireless technology that converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into a carbon-neutral fuel and requires no electricity.
It is based on an advanced ‘photosheet’ technology that converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and formic acid which is a storable fuel form. It can be either used directly or can be converted into Hydrogen.
This was published in the ‘Nature Energy’ journal and outlines a novel methodology for the conversion of carbon dioxide into fuel. It aims to achieve artificial photosynthesis by mimicking the ability of plants to convert sunlight into energy. The technology solely relies on photo-catalysts (carbon-dioxide converting cobalt-based catalyst) embedded on a sheet. The sheets are made up of semiconductor powders which can be scaled up to several square metres and can be employed like that of solar cells.
It is a cleaner source compared to others as it shows a higher degree of selectivity and a lesser number of by-products and shows a promise for a clean renewable energy resource with maximum efficiency.