Mechanical and industrial engineering researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (my alma mater!) have engineered a game-changer; unique solar cells that converts atmospheric carbon dioxide into usable hydrocarbon fuel, syngas, using sunlight for the energy. The implications of scrubbing significant carbon dioxide and converting it in an energy-dense and portable fuel, solves the unsustainable one-way fossil fuels creating extra greenhouse gas and the possibly make dino-fuels obsolete. The artificial 'leaf' converts CO2 by using combinations of catalysts, nano-structured compounds called transition metal dichalcogenides — or TMDCs in an unique ionic liquid as the electrolyte inside a two compartment three-electrode electro-chemical cell. There are two silicon triple-junction photovoltaic cells; tungsten diselenide and ionic liquid co-catalyst system on the cathode side; and cobalt oxide in potassium phosphate electrolyte on the anode side. Carbon dioxide diffuse through the solar-activated membrane and free oxygen and hydrogen ions are produced. Besides massive 'Grand Earth Engineering' solar CO2 scrubbing farming, this could be used in Mars colonization and for other carbon-dioxide rich exo-atmospheres.
Breakthrough solar cell captures carbon dioxide and sunlight, produces burnable fuel