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Japan team reports pathway to green ammonia: photocatalytic conversion of nitrogen with water

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The solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency is 0.02%, which is the highest efficiency among the early reported photocatalytic systems. In addition, the cheap, robust, and noble-metal-free TiO 2 successfully produces NH 3 very efficiently (180 μM) under sunlight. —Hirakawa et al. 7b06634.

Water 170
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New plasma synthesis process for one-step conversion of CO2 and methane into higher value fuel and chemicals

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Instead of using H 2 , direct conversion of CO 2 with CH 4 (dry reforming of methane, DRM) to liquid fuels and chemicals (e.g. Moreover, it is a cheap carbon source which can increase the atom utilization of CO 2 hydrogenation due to the stoichiometric ratio of C and O atoms, as well as reducing the formation of water. …

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OSU hybrid “solar battery” uses photo-assisted charging to improve performance of Li-air batteries; “negative overpotential”

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The basic concept of the integrated solar battery is to use the contribution of the photovoltage to reduce greatly the charging overpotential caused by the difficulty in efficiently electrochemically decomposing lithium peroxide (Li 2 O 2 ), the discharge product formed on the oxygen electrode. —Yu et al. Photo-assisted charging. (a)

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Researchers from MIT and Sun Catalytix develop an artificial leaf for solar water splitting to produce hydrogen and oxygen

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The traces are for solar cells of 7.7% Researchers led by MIT professor Daniel Nocera have produced an “artificial leaf”—a solar water-splitting cell producing hydrogen and oxygen that operates in near-neutral pH conditions, both with and without connecting wires. solar-to-fuels systems. illumination.

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Lux Research: cost of electrofuels remains far from viable

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The cost of electrofuels—fuels produced by catalyst-based systems for light capture, water electrolysis, and catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide and hydrogen to liquid fuels—remains far away from viable, according to a new analysis by Lux Research. Biotech Fuels Solar' Hydrogen-to-fuels.

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An abundant and inexpensive water-splitting photocatalyst with low toxicity active in visible light

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However, due to their inability to absorb visible light, which accounts for more than half of solar energy, their practical use in the conversion of solar energy is limited. Sn 3 O 4 has great potential as an abundant, cheap, and environmentally benign solar-energy conversion catalyst.

Water 170
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New Rutgers non-noble metal catalyst for hydrogen evolution performs as well as Pt in both acid and base

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Consequently, the authors noted, research has focused on developing alternative, cheap, and robust catalysts made from earth-abundant elements. Here, we show that crystalline Ni 5 P 4 evolves H 2 with geometric electrical to chemical conversion efficiency on par with Pt in strong acid (33 mV dec -1 Tafel slope and ?62 Click to enlarge.

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