Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beckman Institute and Kavli Nanoscience Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
Nat Nanotechnol. 2016 Dec 6;11(12):1010-1019. doi: 10.1038/nnano.2016.194.
An artificial photosynthetic system that directly produces fuels from sunlight could provide an approach to scalable energy storage and a technology for the carbon-neutral production of high-energy-density transportation fuels. A variety of designs are currently being explored to create a viable artificial photosynthetic system, and the most technologically advanced systems are based on semiconducting photoelectrodes. Here, I discuss the development of an approach that is based on an architecture, first conceived around a decade ago, that combines arrays of semiconducting microwires with flexible polymeric membranes. I highlight the key steps that have been taken towards delivering a fully functional solar fuels generator, which have exploited advances in nanotechnology at all hierarchical levels of device construction, and include the discovery of earth-abundant electrocatalysts for fuel formation and materials for the stabilization of light absorbers. Finally, I consider the remaining scientific and engineering challenges facing the fulfilment of an artificial photosynthetic system that is simultaneously safe, robust, efficient and scalable.
一种能够直接利用太阳光生产燃料的人工光合作用系统，可以为可扩展的能量存储提供一种方法，并为生产高能密度运输燃料的碳中性技术提供一种方法。目前正在探索各种设计来创建可行的人工光合作用系统，而最先进的技术系统基于半导体光电导体。在这里，我讨论了一种基于架构的方法的发展，该架构最初是在十年前构想的，它将半导体微线阵列与柔性聚合物膜结合在一起。我强调了朝着提供全功能太阳能燃料发电机所采取的关键步骤，这些步骤利用了纳米技术在设备构建的所有层次上的进步，包括发现用于燃料形成的丰富的电催化剂和用于稳定光吸收剂的材料。最后，我考虑了实现同时安全、坚固、高效和可扩展的人工光合作用系统所面临的剩余科学和工程挑战。
