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.

太阳能的一个主要挑战是人工合成的目标，其中利用阳光来产生燃料或高能化学品。自然光合作用利用太阳能从二氧化碳和水产生分子氧和碳水化合物，但人工光合作用的目标可以更加多样化。我们的愿景是创造一种太阳能纳米设备，将甲烷和二氧化碳耦合光转化为甲醇和一氧化碳。这一具有挑战性的目标与我们熟悉的将水分解为氢气和氧气的目标有着根本的不同。我们的目标是提供氧化和还原方面的产品，这些产品是重要的燃料或原料。光催化还原二氧化碳和氧化烷烃代表了非常复杂的长期目标，但我们的概念基于既定的原则。我们将目标分解为各个组成部分，每个组成部分本身都极具挑战性，并且每个组成部分的实现都将构成重大突破。这些挑战将由曼彻斯特、诺丁汉、约克和诺维奇四个中心的科学家团队来应对，他们领导的团队拥有光物理学、纳米科学、光化学、电化学和合成方面的专业知识。因此，这些研究人员将寻求建立支撑技术所需的科学，通过构建能够驱动绿色化学反应的新型太阳能装置，将丰富且对环境有害的原料转化为具有高经济价值的产品。