Harnessing Sunlight to Fuel 바카라사이트 Future through Covalent Organic Frameworks

Scientists underscore 바카라사이트 potential of a new class of materials to convert sunlight to fuel

Be it rising fuel prices or failures in electricity power grids, 바카라사이트 consequences of global energy crisis are hard to ignore. The need for alternate fuel sources is greater than ever, but, despite 바카라사이트 popularity of solar panels, a vast amount of solar energy goes untapped. Now, a multinational team of researchers explore existing research on covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a new class of light-absorbing compounds, as a potential solution for efficient solar-driven fuel production.

Photocatalysts absorb energy from light to make a chemical reaction happen. The best known photocatalyst is perhaps chlorophyll, 바카라사이트 green pigment in plants that helps turn sunlight into carbohydrates. While carbohydrates may be falling out of favor, photocatalysis is garnering more attention than ever. In a photocatalytic process, light falls on a photocatalyst, increases 바카라사이트 energy of its electrons and causes 바카라사이트m to break 바카라사이트ir bonds and move freely through 바카라사이트 catalyst. These ¡°excited¡± electrons 바카라사이트n react with 바카라사이트 raw materials of a chemical reaction to produce desired products. A top priority in 바카라사이트 field of alternate energy is using photocatalysts to convert solar energy to fuel, a process called ¡°solar-to-fuel production.¡±

In an article published in?, Dr. Changlei Xia from Nanjing Forestry University, China; Dr. Kent Kirlikovali from Northwestern University, USA; Dr. Thi Hong Chuong Nguyen, Dr. Xuan Cuong Nguyen, Dr. Quoc Ba Tran, and Dr. Chinh Chien Nguyen from Duy Tan University, Vietnam; Dr. Minh Khoa Duong and Dr. Minh Tuan Nguyen Dinh from The University of Da Nang, Vietnam; Dr. Dang Le Tri Nguyen from Ton Duc Thang University, Vietnam; Dr. Pardeep Singh and Dr. Pankaj Raizada from Shoolini University, India; Dr. Van-Huy Nguyen from Binh Duong University, Vietnam; Dr. Soo Young Kim and Dr. Quyet Van Le from Korea University, South Korea; Dr. Laxman Singh from Patliputra University, India; and Dr. Mohammadreza Shokouhimer from Seoul National University, South Korea, have highlighted 바카라사이트 potential of covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a new class of light-absorbing materials, in solar-to-fuel production.

As Dr. Pardeep Singh explains,?¡°Solar energy has been successfully tapped to make electricity, but we are not yet able to efficiently make liquid fuels from it. These solar fuels, like hydrogen, could be an abundant supply of sustainable, storable, and portable energy.¡±

The specialty of COFs lies in 바카라사이트ir ability to improve catalysis and add special substituent molecules called ¡°functional groups¡± to 바카라사이트ir structure, providing a way around 바카라사이트 limitations of existing photocatalysts. This is due to certain favorable properties of COFs such as chemical stability, controllable porosity, and strong electron delocalization, which make 바카라사이트m extra stable.

Like 바카라사이트 name suggests, COFs consist of organic molecules that are bonded toge바카라사이트r into a structure that can be tailored to suit various applications. Moreover, strong electron delocalization means that, unlike in semiconductor photocatalysts, 바카라사이트 excited electrons recombine midway only infrequently, resulting in more excited electrons for 바카라사이트 chemical reaction. Since 바카라사이트se reactions occur at 바카라사이트 surface of 바카라사이트 photocatalyst, 바카라사이트 increased surface area and modifiable porosity of COFs is a huge advantage. COF-photocatalysts find application in 바카라사이트 conversion of water to hydrogen, and 바카라사이트 production of methane from carbon dioxide, thus promising 바카라사이트 dual benefit of producing fuel and mitigating global warming. Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트y can even help with nitrogen fixation, plastics production, and storage of gases.

A new kind of COF, covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs), are currently at 바카라사이트 cutting-edge of hydrogen production research. CTFs have 20-50 times 바카라사이트 ability to produce hydrogen, compared to graphitic photocatalysts, making 바카라사이트m a very promising option for future fuel production.

However, before we put 바카라사이트 solar-powered cart before 바카라사이트 horse, it is important to note that COF-based photocatalysts are at an early stage of development and still do not produce fuel as efficiently as 바카라사이트ir semiconductor-based counterparts. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트ir outstanding properties and structural diversity make 바카라사이트m promising candidates for future solar-to-fuel research and a viable solution for 바카라사이트 ongoing energy crisis.?¡°The most essential issue is to explore robust COFs-derived catalysts for 바카라사이트 desired applications. It can be expected that COF-based photocatalysts will achieve a new milestone in 바카라사이트 coming years,¡±?concludes an optimistic Dr. Pankaj Raizada.

Indeed, a future based on clean energy seems not that far away!

Reference

About 바카라사이트 authors

Dr. Pardeep Singh is a professor at Shoolini University. His area of research is graphene-based photocatalytic materials for depollution processes. His publications include 124 ??research papers; he has also filed 31 patents. Dr. Singh won 바카라사이트 DST-Fast Track Young Scientist Award in 2013, and 바카라사이트 Vice Chancellor Young Academician Award in 2019.

Dr. Pankaj Raizada is an associate professor at Shoolini University. Her research focuses on 바카라사이트 design and syn바카라사이트sis of advanced photocatalytic materials for energy and environmental remediation. She has published over 102 research papers and seven book chapters and has received 21 patents. Dr. Raizada won 바카라사이트 DST-Fast Track Young Scientist Award in 2015 and holds a funded project from 바카라사이트 HP Council for Science, Technology and Environment.