Carbon Dioxide and Alkanes as Electron-sink and Source in a Solar Nanocell: towards Tandem Photosynthesis of Carbon Monoxide and Methanol

二氧化碳和烷烃作为太阳能纳米电池中的电子沉和源：一氧化碳和甲醇的串联光合作用

• 批准号: EP/F047789/1
• 负责人: Mike George
• 金额: $ 40.99万
• 依托单位: University of Nottingham
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2008 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FF047789%2F1
• 关键词: Carbon; Dioxide; Alkanes; Electron; sink

A major solar energy challenge is the goal of artificial synthesis in which sunlight is used to generate fuels or high energy chemicals. Natural photosynthesis uses solar energy to generate dioxygen and carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water, but the targets of artificial photosynthesis can be more diverse. Our vision is to create a solar nano-device which will drive the coupled photo-conversion of methane and carbon dioxide into methanol and carbon monoxide respectively. This challenging target differs fundamentally from the familiar one of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. Our target offers products both on the oxidation and the reduction sides that are significant fuels or feedstocks. The photocatalytic reduction of CO2 and oxidation of alkanes represent long-standing goals of great complexity, but we base our concepts on well-established principles. We break down the goals into individual components, each of which is highly challenging within its own right and delivery of each would constitute a major breakthrough. The challenges will be met by a team of scientists, integrated across the four centres of Manchester, Nottingham, York and Norwich, who lead teams with expertise in photophysics, nanoscience, photochemistry, electrochemistry and synthesis. Thus these researchers will seek to establish the science required to underpin technologies that will allow the conversion of abundant and environmentally damaging feedstocks into products of high economic value by constructing a new class of solar device capable of driving green chemical reactions.

一个主要的太阳能挑战是人工合成的目标，在该目标中，阳光用于产生燃料或高能化学物质。天然光合作用使用太阳能来产生二氧化碳和水的二氧化碳和碳水化合物，但是人造光合作用的靶标可能会更多样化。我们的视野是创建一个太阳能纳米装置，该设备将分别将甲烷和二氧化碳的耦合光转换驱动到甲醇和一氧化碳中。这个具有挑战性的目标与将水分成氢和氧的熟悉的目标从根本上有所不同。我们的目标提供氧化和还原侧的产品，这些产品是重要的燃料或原料。二氧化碳的光催化减少和烷烃的氧化代表了长期复杂性的长期目标，但我们将概念基于公认的原则。我们将目标分解为单个组成部分，每个组成部分在其本身内都是极具挑战性的，而每个组件的交付将构成一个重大突破。一组科学家将面临挑战，该团队融合了曼彻斯特，诺丁汉，约克和诺里奇的四个中心，后者在光体物理学，纳米科学，光化学，电化学和合成方面领导着专业知识。因此，这些研究人员将寻求建立基础技术所需的科学，这些技术将通过构建能够驱动绿色化学反应的新型太阳能设备，将丰富和环保的原料转换为高经济价值的产品。