Are photochemical systems a viable solar-to-fuel production system?

To date, numerous photochemical systems have been developed to obtain a viable solar-to-fuel production system with sufficient energy efficiency. However, more effort is still needed to meet the requirements of industrial implementation.

Is solar reforming the future of chemical production?

Considering the need for clean fuel and chemical production from abundant waste streams and considering solar energy being the most abundant and cheapest energy form available, solar reforming is an obvious and well-positioned emerging technology to support the transition from today’s linear to a future’s circular chemical industry.

Why are photovoltaic cells used in photochemical process?

On the one hand, the photons with much higher energy than the Eg of photovoltaic cells are used in the photochemical process, decreasing the irreversible losses of high-energy photons. On the other hand, the photons with lower energy than the Eg are recycled to provide heat for the thermochemical process.

Can a photochemical process convert solar energy into chemical energy?

Liu and co-workers have integrated a photochemical process with a thermochemical process to convert the full spectrum of solar energy into chemical energy (Figure 13b).

Can solar energy be used to produce chemical fuels?

Therefore, in stage I, the input sunlight out of the systems’ photoelectric response region was first concentrated to intensify the photon flux and improve the capacity to perform work after spectrum splitting (Fig. 14). Then, this solar energy could be coupled with photobased and thermal-based systems to produce chemical fuels.

Can solar-powered upcycling plants produce sustainable fuels and Value-Added Chemicals?

With appropriate light harvesting, catalyst design, device configurations and waste pre-treatment strategies, a range of sustainable fuels and value-added chemicals can already be selectively produced from diverse waste feedstocks, including biomass and plastics, demonstrating the potential of solar-powered upcycling plants.