Sustainable Fuel Conversion

Artificial photosynthesis

As the vast realm of all life, the ocean harbors myriad organisms. The majority of them are composed of plankton, especially phytoplankton. They play a pivotal role in the global carbon cycle by converting solar energy into chemical energy via photosynthesis. Leveraging this abundant photo-biological mechanism could lead to an advanced system for environmentally sustainable electrochemical energy conversion. Specifically, solar-to-hydrogen conversion for efficient utilization of renewable energy is one of the most urgent targets.

Here, we propose a bio-photoelectrochemical reactor as a potential solution. It harnesses photosynthetic currents extracted along biocompatible nanowires inserted into marine phytoplankton to perform solar-to-fuel direct conversion. The resulting current represents a fraction of the excited electrons for photosynthesis of phytoplankton and is quantifiable at the single-cell level via scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). This platform is expected to be operable wherever marine phytoplankton resides, enabling the establishment of a widespread eco-friendly hydrogen production system. Ultimately, this approach will drive the personalization and massification of hydrogen production, thereby activating the hydrogen economy.

Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Increased CO2 emissions has evoked the need to reduce the CO2 level. Electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2RR) has emerged as a promising approach to address climate change by converting CO2 into value-added chemicals. Diverse strategies targeting high-valuable fuel production have been explored to gain high selectivity and high activity. However, understanding the fundamental mechanism of CO2RR remains a key challenge. Most CO2RR occurs at the microenvironment between the electrode and the electrolyte. Consequently, our research goal is to enhance the understanding about what happens in the microenvironment of the reaction by changing various environmental aspects.

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