Engineers Garage

  • Projects and Tutorials
    • Electronic Projects
      • 8051
      • Arduino
      • ARM
      • AVR
      • PIC
      • Raspberry pi
      • STM32
    • Tutorials
    • Circuit Design
    • Project Videos
    • Components
  • Articles
    • Tech Articles
    • Insight
    • Invention Stories
    • How to
    • What Is
  • News
    • Electronic Products News
    • DIY Reviews
    • Guest Post
  • Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online
    • EG Forum Archive
  • Digi-Key Store
    • Cables, Wires
    • Connectors, Interconnect
    • Discrete
    • Electromechanical
    • Embedded Computers
    • Enclosures, Hardware, Office
    • Integrated Circuits (ICs)
    • Isolators
    • LED/Optoelectronics
    • Passive
    • Power, Circuit Protection
    • Programmers
    • RF, Wireless
    • Semiconductors
    • Sensors, Transducers
    • Test Products
    • Tools
  • EE Resources
    • DesignFast
    • LEAP Awards
    • Oscilloscope Product Finder
    • White Papers
    • Webinars
  • EE Learning Center
    • Design Guides
      • WiFi & the IOT Design Guide
      • Microcontrollers Design Guide
      • State of the Art Inductors Design Guide
  • Women in Engineering

Light-Driven Reaction Alters Carbon Dioxide into Fuel

By Parul Gupta

Having identified a catalyst that can do this vital chemistry using ultraviolet light, the group now expects to develop a version that would run on natural sunlight, a potential boon to alternative energy. Scientists have long sought an effective, light-driven catalyst to power this reaction that could help diminish the growing levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere by altering it into methane, a key building block for numerous sorts of fuels.

Not just are the rhodium nanoparticles made more effective when illuminated by light, they have the advantage of strongly favouring the formation of methane rather than an equal mix of methane and undesirable side-products such as carbon monoxide. Such strong ‘selectivity’ of the light driven catalysis may also extend to other vital chemical reactions, the scientists say.

“The truth that you can use light to influence a particular reaction pathway is highly exciting,” says Jie Liu, the George B. Geller lecturer of chemistry at Duke University. “Such discovery will truly advance the understanding of catalysis.”

Light-driven reaction converts carbon dioxide into fuel

Despite being one of the rarest elements on Earth, rhodium plays a surprisingly vital role in our everyday lives. Tiny amounts of the silvery grey substance are employed to speed up or ‘catalyze’ a range of core industrial procedures, including those that make drugs, detergents and nitrogen fertilizer, and they even play a crucial role breaking down toxic pollutants in the catalytic converters of our cars.

Rhodium boosts such reactions with an added boost of energy that usually comes in the form of heat as it is conveniently produced and absorbed. But, high temperatures also result in problems, such as shortened catalyst lifetimes and the unwanted synthesis of undesired products.

In the past decades, researchers have explored novel and useful methods that light can be employed to add energy to bits of metal shrunk down to the nanoscale, a group called as plasmonics. “Efficiently, plasmonic metal nanoparticles function like antennas that absorbs visible or ultraviolet light very effectively and can do a range of things like generate robust electric fields.” says Henry Everitt, an adjunct lecturer of physics at Duke and senior research scientist at the Army’s Aviation and Missile RD&E Centre at Redstone Arsenal, AL.

“For the last couple of years there has been identification that such property might be applied to catalysis.” Xiao Zhang, a graduate student in Jie Liu’s Lab, synthesized rhodium nanocubes that were the optimal size for absorbing near ultra-violet light. He then placed small volumes of the charcoal coloured nanoparticles in the chamber.

“Our discovery of the unique way light can effectively, selectively influence catalysis came as a result of an on-going association between theorists and experimentalists,” says Liu. “Lecturer Weitao Yang’s team in the Duke Chemistry department offered critical theoretical insights that helped us comprehend what was happening. Such sort of analysis can be applied to numerous vital chemical reactions.”


Filed Under: News
Tagged With: Research
 

Questions related to this article?
👉Ask and discuss on EDAboard.com and Electro-Tech-Online.com forums.



Tell Us What You Think!! Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

HAVE A QUESTION?

Have a technical question about an article or other engineering questions? Check out our engineering forums EDABoard.com and Electro-Tech-Online.com where you can get those questions asked and answered by your peers!


Featured Tutorials

  • Introduction to Brain Waves & its Types (Part 1/13)
  • Understanding NeuroSky EEG Chip in Detail (Part 2/13)
  • Performing Experiments with Brainwaves (Part 3/13)
  • Amplification of EEG Signal and Interfacing with Arduino (Part 4/13)
  • Controlling Led brightness using Meditation and attention level (Part 5/13)
  • Control Motor’s Speed using Meditation and Attention Level of Brain (Part 6/13)

Stay Up To Date

Newsletter Signup

Sign up and receive our weekly newsletter for latest Tech articles, Electronics Projects, Tutorial series and other insightful tech content.

EE Training Center Classrooms

EE Classrooms

Recent Articles

  • What are the battery-selection criteria for low-power design?
  • Key factors to optimize power consumption in an embedded device
  • EdgeLock A5000 Secure Authenticator
  • How to interface a DS18B20 temperature sensor with MicroPython’s Onewire driver
  • Introduction to Brain Waves & its Types (Part 1/13)

Most Popular

5G 555 timer circuit 8051 ai Arduino atmega16 automotive avr bluetooth dc motor display Electronic Part Electronic Parts Fujitsu ic infineontechnologies integratedcircuit Intel IoT ir lcd led maximintegratedproducts microchip microchiptechnology Microchip Technology microcontroller microcontrollers mosfet motor powermanagement Raspberry Pi remote renesaselectronics renesaselectronicscorporation Research samsung semiconductor sensor software STMicroelectronics switch Technology vishayintertechnology wireless

RSS EDABOARD.com Discussions

  • Avalanche Pulser
  • Measure AC current accurateley (100mA to 10A)
  • SDR with external LO input
  • Timer MC14541B wrong delay
  • simple LSB explanation please

RSS Electro-Tech-Online.com Discussions

  • bluetooth jammer
  • Disabled son needs advice please
  • DIY bluetooth speaker
  • Someone please explain how this BMS board is supposed to work?
  • HV Diodes
Engineers Garage
  • Analog IC TIps
  • Connector Tips
  • DesignFast
  • EDABoard Forums
  • EE World Online
  • Electro-Tech-Online Forums
  • Microcontroller Tips
  • Power Electronic Tips
  • Sensor Tips
  • Test and Measurement Tips
  • 5G Technology World
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Engineers Garage

  • Projects and Tutorials
    • Electronic Projects
      • 8051
      • Arduino
      • ARM
      • AVR
      • PIC
      • Raspberry pi
      • STM32
    • Tutorials
    • Circuit Design
    • Project Videos
    • Components
  • Articles
    • Tech Articles
    • Insight
    • Invention Stories
    • How to
    • What Is
  • News
    • Electronic Products News
    • DIY Reviews
    • Guest Post
  • Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online
    • EG Forum Archive
  • Digi-Key Store
    • Cables, Wires
    • Connectors, Interconnect
    • Discrete
    • Electromechanical
    • Embedded Computers
    • Enclosures, Hardware, Office
    • Integrated Circuits (ICs)
    • Isolators
    • LED/Optoelectronics
    • Passive
    • Power, Circuit Protection
    • Programmers
    • RF, Wireless
    • Semiconductors
    • Sensors, Transducers
    • Test Products
    • Tools
  • EE Resources
    • DesignFast
    • LEAP Awards
    • Oscilloscope Product Finder
    • White Papers
    • Webinars
  • EE Learning Center
    • Design Guides
      • WiFi & the IOT Design Guide
      • Microcontrollers Design Guide
      • State of the Art Inductors Design Guide
  • Women in Engineering