Silicon hybrid captures high-energy sunlight for fuel-making reactions, study finds

Plants and algae make their fuel from sunlight. Perhaps we could do the same using semiconductors. A team of scientists at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) has now made strides in that direction. They discovered a silicon semiconductor coupled to a molecular catalyst can capture higher-energy sunlight that is unused by both plants and human-made panels. Such energy could be used to drive reactions, like that between carbon dioxide and water to form hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals, or that synthesize fertilizer from nitrogen gas, which makes up 20% of our atmosphere.

from Energy & Green Tech News - Energy Sciences News, Green Tech, Energy, Energy Science https://ift.tt/DhruFgK

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