Li Yaguang, Bai Xianhua, Yuan Dachao, Zhang Fengyu, Li Bo, San Xingyuan, Liang Baolai, Wang Shufang, Luo Jun, Fu Guangsheng
Hebei Key Lab of Optic-electronic Information and Materials, The College of Physics Science and Technology, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, 071002, Baoding, China.
College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Key Laboratory Intelligent Equipment and New Energy Utilization of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Hebei Agricultural University, 071001, Baoding, China.
Nat Commun. 2022 Feb 9;13(1):776. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28364-y.
Solar-heating catalysis has the potential to realize zero artificial energy consumption, which is restricted by the low ambient solar heating temperatures of photothermal materials. Here, we propose the concept of using heterostructures of black photothermal materials (such as BiTe) and infrared insulating materials (Cu) to elevate solar heating temperatures. Consequently, the heterostructure of BiTe and Cu (BiTe/Cu) increases the 1 sun-heating temperature of BiTe from 93 °C to 317 °C by achieving the synergy of 89% solar absorption and 5% infrared radiation. This strategy is applicable for various black photothermal materials to raise the 1 sun-heating temperatures of TiO, CuSe, and CuS to 295 °C, 271 °C, and 248 °C, respectively. The BiTe/Cu-based device is able to heat CuO/ZnO/AlO nanosheets to 305 °C under 1 sun irradiation, and this system shows a 1 sun-driven hydrogen production rate of 310 mmol g h from methanol and water, at least 6 times greater than that of all solar-driven systems to date, with 30.1% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency and 20-day operating stability. Furthermore, this system is enlarged to 6 m to generate 23.27 m/day of hydrogen under outdoor sunlight irradiation in the spring, revealing its potential for industrial manufacture.
太阳能加热催化有潜力实现零人工能源消耗，但受限于光热材料的低环境太阳能加热温度。在此，我们提出利用黑色光热材料（如BiTe）和红外绝缘材料（Cu）的异质结构来提高太阳能加热温度的概念。因此，BiTe和Cu的异质结构（BiTe/Cu）通过实现89%的太阳能吸收和5%的红外辐射的协同作用，将BiTe的1倍太阳加热温度从93°C提高到317°C。该策略适用于各种黑色光热材料，可分别将TiO、CuSe和CuS的1倍太阳加热温度提高到295°C、271°C和248°C。基于BiTe/Cu的装置能够在1倍太阳辐射下将CuO/ZnO/AlO纳米片加热到305°C，该系统显示出从甲醇和水中以310 mmol g h的速率进行1倍太阳驱动制氢，至少是迄今为止所有太阳能驱动系统的6倍，太阳能到氢能效率为30.1%，运行稳定性为20天。此外，该系统扩大到6米，在春季户外阳光照射下每天可产生23.27立方米的氢气，显示出其工业制造潜力。
