In this modern days, we are as a human rely on fossil fuels which unfortunately produce the carbon dioxide. Consequently, the level of carbon dioxide flying in the atmosphere increases significantly. Most of it is originated from transportation and air conditioning which are indirectly operated from the present of fuels. The issues have degraded into how we are able to control or take advantage from unlimited resources including the carbon dioxide so we can produce a limitless of energy.
The issues are apparently being solved by using the solar energy in producing the hydrogen and oxygen fuel from water and carbon dioxide. This process is actually happened everyday by looking the plants activities. They are able to convert the ground elements by applying the help of photon for producing the glucose. And interestingly, they use the carbon dioxide as the catalyst to commence the photosynthesis process and produce the oxygen as their by waste product. This seems very economically reliable solutions because the sustainability of energy can be achieved. So, based on that understanding we have one topics so that we can produce sustainable energy.
Converting method is the important thing. According to chemistry knowledge, we knew that the hydrogen can be achieved from hydrolysis. The method is electrochemical which can split the hydrogen and oxygen in certain catalyst and the source of electricity can be functioned from the photovoltaic or photoelectric principle. On the other hand, the possible thing to do water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction is by heating the catalyst (the water and carbon dioxide are integrated to the catalyst) which is deposited on the surface of solar absorbers. This will make the catalysts commences the exothermic reaction and create those so called photo electrochemical. However, the human history has recorded about the developing the instrumentation in water splitting which means carbon dioxide reduction is more difficult to do.
All in all, either the photovoltaic/ photoelectric or photo electrochemical process requires material which can absorb the sunlight so that it can give enough energy to do splitting. In addition to produce fuel product, the suitable catalysts are important since the fuels we demand are hydrogen or oxygen. Furthermore, the challenge to design renewable fuels from solar energy has moved our brain.