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Researchers use quantum computing method to optimize molecular photoswitches for solar energy harvesting

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Molecular photoswitches that can both convert and store energy could be used to make solar energy harvesting more efficient. The procedure was based on a dataset of more than 400,000 molecules, which the researchers screened to find the optimum molecular structure for solar energy storage materials.

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Photocatalytic optical fibers convert water into hydrogen

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Researchers at the University of Southampton have transformed optical fibers into photocatalytic microreactors that convert water into hydrogen fuel using solar energy. The unique methodology presents a potentially feasible solution for renewable energy, the elimination of greenhouse gases and sustainable chemical production.

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Researchers propose testing standards for particulate photocatalysts in solar fuel production

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Utilization of renewable solar energy is crucial for addressing the global energy and environmental concerns and achieving sustainable development. In this regard, photocatalytic water splitting has attracted significant interest as a cost-effective means to convert sustainable solar energy into valuable chemicals.

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Convert Oil Wells to Solve the Solar Storage Problem

Cars That Think

One of the main impediments to harnessing solar energy is storage. Solar batteries work as a short-term solution, but not when it comes to long-term storage or to power, say, an entire city. Solar energy and oil wells might sound like an odd combination, but the principle is similar to how geothermal energy would be harnessed.

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New solar-powered system converts harmful emissions into sustainable fuels

Innovation News Network

The post New solar-powered system converts harmful emissions into sustainable fuels appeared first on Innovation News Network. Researchers have developed a system that can transform plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels using energy from the Sun.

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WUSTL researchers demonstrate solar-panel-powered microbial electrosynthesis to produce n-butanol from light, CO2 and power

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A team of biologists and engineers modified Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 (TIE-1) so that it can produce a biofuel using only three renewable and naturally abundant source ingredients: carbon dioxide, solar panel-generated electricity and light. We hope that it can be a steppingstone for future sustainable solar fuel production.

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Study finds copper catalysts work better at converting CO2 to renewable fuel when they gain and lose oxygen atoms

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Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and Caltech have found that copper that was once bound with oxygen is better at converting carbon dioxide into renewable fuels than copper that was never bound to oxygen. Drisdell and his colleagues say their discovery is an important advance towards that goal.

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