SBIR Phase I: A Hybrid Metamaterial for Solar Methanol Production

这个SBIR第一阶段项目将开发一种装置，通过模拟植物和某些细菌发生的光合作用过程，利用阳光从二氧化碳和水中合成甲醇。太阳能甲醇生物燃料发电装置将被制造出来，它使用捕光的超材料衬底和受生物启发的从头设计的蛋白质结构域，当与直接来自自然的酶结构域模块连接时，将产生生物燃料。该项目结合了超材料复合材料强大的聚光能力和模仿光合作用结构的蛋白质的捕光能力。将超材料和捕光蛋白质与能够进行化学催化的额外蛋白质成分相结合，可以创造出廉价、坚固和可再生的燃料电池，在大气中的二氧化碳和甲醇之间循环。该项目的更广泛/更广泛的商业影响将是以一种廉价的方式生产甲醇。甲醇将在生物柴油行业得到应用，因此将对能源和运输部门产生积极影响。

This SBIR Phase I project will develop a device that will perform methanol synthesis from CO2 and H2O using sunlight by mimicking the photosynthetic process taking place in plants and certain bacteria. A solar methanol biofuel generating device will be fabricated that uses a light-trapping metamaterial substrate and a bio-inspired de novo designed protein domain which will generate biofuels when modularly connected to enzyme domains directly derived from Nature. The project combines the powerful light-concentrating abilities of metamaterial composites with light-harvesting capabilities of proteins that mimic photosynthetic structures. The combination of metamaterials and light-harvesting proteins with additional protein components capable of carrying out chemical catalysis allows for the creation of inexpensive, robust and regenerative fuel cells that cycle between atmospheric carbon dioxide and methanol.The broader/commercial impact of the project will be production of methanol in a non-expensive manner. Methanol will find applications in the biodiesel industry and thus will have a positive impact on the energy and transportation sectors.