An Emerging Energy Technology: The Role Of The New Technology

Name Tutor Course Date Artificial Photosynthesis Brief Overview of Technology Unlike the world prior to the industrial revolution, the modern world runs on energy. It is the backbone of industrialization and the wheels on which economies move forward. This has increased the demand for energy, leading to the need for research and adoption of new sources. This has resulted in drastic changes in the energy sector over the years. From wood power, to wind power, hydropower, fossil fuels, and even nuclear power. All these changes have been driven by the need to cater for the demand for energy, which is projected to at least double by 2050 (Barber and Tran). Moreover, due to the emission of greenhouse gases which cause global warming, there are calls to reduce the overreliance on the traditional sources of energy such as fossil fuels, and adopt newer and more environment-friendly technologies. Artificial photosynthesis is an example of such technology. Artificial photosynthesis is a technology that mimics the natural process of photosynthesis to generate energy. Natural photosynthesis converts water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates (energy) with the release of oxygen. On the other hand, artificial photosynthesis involves the capture of energy from sunlight and storing it in the bonds of fuel, the same way energy from natural photosynthesis is stored in the chemical bonds of a glucose molecule. This energy is then used when sunlight is not available. This can be achieved through the photocatalytic splitting of water and the carbon dioxide reduction using light. Artificial photosynthesis leads to the production of energy such as solar fuels and microbial biofuel from photoautotrophic microorganisms in the presence of sunlight. It also involves photoelectrochemistry and the mechanism in which it is applied in fuel cells (Sivula 976). The fuel production process through artificial photosynthesis can be divided into the oxidation and reduction phases. The oxidation and reduction processes are achieved by the use of photocatalysts, which reproduce (mimic) the processes of natural photosynthesis. Catalysts such as titanium oxide amplify the surface area for capturing of solar photons, thereby playing the role of chlorophyll in natural photosynthesis. When immersed in an electrolyte solution, the catalysts produce a current that is then used to split water into its chemical constituents (oxygen and hydrogen). The solar energy is then stored in these constituents in the presence of catalysts such as iridium. Though photovoltaics can produce energy from sunlight directly, their use is limited due to inefficient fuel production, and the daily variations in the intensity of sunlight. The energy storage capacity of the system is also ineffective. Photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria and green microalgae can also be used to produce solar fuel through artificial photosynthesis Photocatalytic splitting of water involves the use of sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, resulting in the production of clean fuel (hydrogen), with oxygen as the only byproduct. The solar fuel cells used in this process can either be homogeneous or heterogeneous. In homogeneous systems, both the hydrogen and oxygen are produced in the same ...