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UCLA team proposes non-photosynthetic biological conversion of CO2

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Most of us naturally associate biological CO 2 conversion with photosynthesis in plants and algae. Furthermore, the maximum efficiency of solar energy conversion by photosynthesis is 5%, while typical solar panel efficiency reaches 20%. Their paper is published in the journal Joule. Acetogenic microbes (e.g., an and Park.

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Lufthansa, ETH Zürich, Climeworks & Synhelion to cooperate on Sustainable Aviation Fuels; CO2 capture & solar thermochemical conversion

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Synhelion was founded in 2016 at ETH Zurich and is working on bringing solar fuels to the market. Synhelion uses solar heat to convert water and CO 2 into synthetic fuels. Further contents of the cooperation are to be worked out by the end of 2020.

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SOLAR-JET project demonstrates solar-driven thermochemical conversion of CO2 and water to jet fuel

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SOLAR-JET concentrated thermochemical reactor. The EU-funded SOLAR-JET project has demonstrated the production of aviation kerosene from concentrated sunlight, CO 2 captured from air, and water. The solar reactor consists of a cavity-receiver containing a porous monolithic ceria cylinder. Click to enlarge.

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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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Toshiba targeting practical implementation of conversion of solar energy and CO2 to feedstock and fuel in 2020s

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Toshiba Corporation has developed a new technology that uses solar energy directly to generate carbon compounds from carbon dioxide and water, and to deliver a viable chemical feedstock or fuel with potential for use in industry. Fuels Hydrogen Production Solar Solar fuels' Mechanism of the technology. Source: Toshiba.

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Evonik and Siemens Energy commission pilot plant for conversion of CO2 to chemicals

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Just as plants use solar energy to produce sugar, for example, from carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and water in several steps, artificial photosynthesis uses renewable energies to produce valuable chemicals from CO 2 and water through electrolysis with the help of bacteria.

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Columbia University engineers make breakthrough in understanding electroreduction of CO2 for conversion to electrofuels

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Recent research in electrocatalytic CO 2 conversion points the way to using CO 2 as a feedstock and renewable electricity as an energy supply for the synthesis of different types of fuel and value-added chemicals such as ethylene, ethanol, and propane. Their paper is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).