Fiechter, S.: Artificial Photosynthesis - An Inorganic Approach. In: edited by Bruno Robert [Ed.] : Artificial PhotosynthesisElsevier, 2016 (Advances in Botanical Research ; 79). - ISBN 978-0-12-803289-3, p. 99-128
10.1016/bs.abr.2016.04.002
Abstract:
The development of energy converting devices, which are able to light-induced split water into hydrogen and oxygen, has attracted increasing notice in the last two decades leading to numerous research activities worldwide addressing fundamental questions in the better understanding of photosynthesis as well as in the design of bioreactors and inorganic systems producing hydrogen from sunlight. One approach is the development of photoelectrodes consisting of photoactive semiconductor layers decorated with appropriate catalysts on top which immersed in an aqueous electrolyte and illuminated by sunlight can produce hydrogen. The high interest in all types of ‘artificial leafs’ is caused by the awareness that they offer attractive routes to convert sunlight into chemical energy storable in large quantities with the option to replace fossil fuels by renewable hydrogen gas and/or hydrocarbons. This plays an important role having the warming of the earth atmosphere by emission of CO2 in mind. It is well known that more than 80% of the energy demand of mankind is based on chemical energy conversion, presently realized by the burning of fossil fuels. For this, a changeover to a sustainable energy supply by regenerative hydrogen producing energy cycles is urgently requested based on the conversion of nearly infinite available sunlight into chemical energy.