ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment → Renewable Energy

Photosynthetic solar cell turns carbon dioxide and sunlight into fuel

Fossil fuels could soon be a thing of the past.

Tyler MacDonaldbyTyler MacDonald
July 28, 2016
in Environment, Environmental Issues, Renewable Energy, Science, Technology
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

A team of researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) has created a photosynthetic solar cell that converts atmospheric carbon dioxide into usable hydrocarbon fuel.

The solar cell that converts atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into fuel. Credit: University of Illinois at Chicago/Jenny Fontaine
The solar cell that converts atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into fuel. Credit: University of Illinois at Chicago/Jenny Fontaine

Conventional solar cells convert sunlight into electricity that must be stored in heavy batteries. The new solar cell is potentially game-changing because it converts atmospheric carbon dioxide into fuel, which could not only remove large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere but also create energy-dense fuel.

“The new solar cell is not photovoltaic – it’s photosynthetic,” said Amin Salehi-Khojin, an assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at UIC and senior author of the study. “Instead of producing energy in an unsustainable one-way route from fossil fuels to greenhouse gas, we can now reverse the process and recycle atmospheric carbon into fuel using sunlight.”

If the new solar cell can be taken advantage of on a global scale, it would render fossil fuels obsolete by giving us the ability to turn carbon dioxide into fuel at a cost similar to a gallon of gasoline.

Past studies have failed to find effective catalysts for the conversion of carbon dioxide into burnable forms of carbon. In the current study, Salehi-Khojin and his team focused on using transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) as catalysts, which they paired with an unconventional ionic liquid as the electrolyte. They were then placed inside a two-compartment, three-electrode electrochemical cell.

Of all of the TMDCs that they tried, nanoflake tungsten diselenide turned out to be the ideal catalyst.

“The new catalyst is more active; more able to break carbon dioxide’s chemical bonds,” said Mohammad Asadi of UIC and first author of the paper.

The final solar cell is an artificial leaf that consists of two silicon triple-junction photovoltaic cells that harvest light. On the cathode side is the tungsten diselenide and ionic liquid co-catalyst system, while the anode side possesses cobalt oxide in potassium phosphate electrolyte.

The team hopes that the technology will be able to be adapted not only to large-scale applications such as solar farms, but also small-scale applications.

RelatedPosts

Global warming will lead to less snow fall in the world
Replacing beef with beans on Americans’ plates might be the fastest way to cut CO2 emissions
World Record Solar Cell With 44.7% Efficiency
Earth didn’t have a high-carbon atmosphere until 1965, study showed

Journal Reference: Nanostructured transition metal dichalcogenide electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction in ionic liquid. 29 July 2016. 10.1126/science.aaf4767

Tags: atmospheric carbon dioxidecarbon dioxidefuelphotosynthesissolar cell

ShareTweetShare
Tyler MacDonald

Tyler MacDonald

Psychology major and writer with an interest in all things science.

Related Posts

Climate

The US Military Emits More CO2 Than Sweden. But A Slight Budget Cut Could Have an Oversized Positive Effect

byTudor Tarita
5 days ago
Environment

This Enzyme-Infused Concrete Could Turn Buildings into CO2 Sponges

byTudor Tarita
1 week ago
Environment

Trump-Appointed EPA Plans to Let Most Polluters Stop Reporting CO2 Emissions

byTibi Puiu
3 months ago
News

The Earth’s oceans were once green. Then, cyanobacteria and iron came in

byMihai Andrei
3 months ago

Recent news

What Happens When You Throw a Paper Plane From Space? These Physicists Found Out

July 11, 2025

The Oldest Dog Breed’s DNA Reveals How Humans Conquered the Arctic — and You’ve Probably Never Heard of It

July 11, 2025

A New Vaccine Could Stop One of the Deadliest Forms of Breast Cancer Before It Starts

July 11, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.