Solar Fuels

October 29th, 2015

What are solar fuels?

What are solar fuels?

Utilizing sunlight to make fuels directly like hydrogen.

What are solar fuels?

Utilizing sunlight to make fuels directly like hydrogen.

Like storing sun in a bottle

Use of transportation fuel2012 Fuel use US (DOT.gov)

_x001a_Jet fuel (million gallons) #Aviation gasoline (million gallons) _x001a_Jet fuel (million gallons)4Light duty vehicle, short wheel base and motorcyclec

$Light duty vehicle, long wheel basec (Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truckd

_x0011_Combination truck _x0003_Bus _x0007_Dieself#Gasoline and other nondiesel fuelsg _x0016_Compressed natural gas *Distillate / diesel fuel (million gal-

lons)_x0006_Amtrak *Distillate / diesel fuel (million gal-

lons)_x0005_Water

#Residual fuel oil (million gallons) .Distillate / diesel fuel oil (million gal-lons)

_x001a_Gasoline (million gallons)

“Globally, just over 60% of world oil consumption is for transport (1) and, in affluent countries like the UK, transport

typically accounts for about one third of the average energy consumption per person.” (2)

-- Alan Heeger, Solar Fuels and Artificial Photosynthesis, 20121 International Energy Agency, Key World Energy Statistics 2011 www.iea.org/publications/free_new_desc.asp?pubs_ID=1199

2 Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air, David JC MacKay, UIT Cambridge Ltd., p104, 2009

Alan Heeger, Solar Fuels and Artificial Photosynthesis, 2012

Production of soalr fuels

Methods of generating solar fuels

• Biohybrid Solar cells• Biomimetic Water-Oxidation Catalysts• Solar Water Splitting Using Semiconductor

Photocatalyst

Natural Photosynthesis

Alan Heeger, Solar Fuels and Artificial Photosynthesis, 2012

Natural Photosynthesis

Solar Energy for Fuels, 2016?

S

S

A0

Fx

FA/FB

A1

wire

P700* P700

h

Pt

2H+ + 2e- H2

A0

A1

O

R

Ciesielski, P. N., D. E. Cliffel, et al. (2011). "Kinetic Model of the Photocatalytic Effect of a Photosystem I Monolayer on a Planar Electrode Surface." The Journal of Physical Chemistry A 115(15): 3326-3334.

H2O ½ O2 + 2H+ + 2e-

P680* P680

QA

YZ

Mn4

Pheo

Biohybroid solar system example

PSIIPSI

Biomimetic Water-Oxidation Catalysts

Solar Energy for Fuels, 2016?

Biomimetic Water-Oxidation Catalysts

Solar Energy for Fuels, 2016?

Biomimetic Water-Oxidation Catalysts

dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja5110393 |Ullman et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 17681−17688

Earth Abundance of Elements

Semiconductor Photocatalyst

N. Lewis and D. Nocera, PNAS Vol 103, n0. 40 p15729-15735, 2006

Important Parameters1. Photon Absorption2. Exciton separation3. Carrier diffusion4. Carrier transport5. Catalytic efficiency6. Mass transfer of reaction

Hydrogen Cars

Honda Clarity175 Horsepower>300 Miles range$63,000 MSRP

Toyota Mirai151 Horesepower300 Mile range$57,500