Artificial Photosynthesis for Production of Hydrogen Gas for Fuel
Abstract
Given Kalonga, Rodrick S. Katete, Ededias Musonda, Richard Mwenya, Luke N. K. Zulu
Photolysis of water is one of the most reliable methods of producing hydrogen fuel to meet the global demand for clean and cheap energy. Over reliance on fossil fuels and hydro-electricity is unsustainable in the era of depleting resources and climate change. Artificial photosynthesis tries to mimic the natural process of photosynthesis that takes place in plants and some bacteria to produce oxygen gas and hydrogen protons. This review proposes the process of mimicking the plant photosynthesis to produce hydrogen gas for fuel. The extension to photosynthesis generates twice the amount of hydrogen gas compared to the amount of oxygen produced. Among the many advantages of using solar water splitting method, there is zero carbon dioxide emission, sufficient water resources in many parts of the world, plenty of sunlight energy, and renewability. This review paper provides detailed mechanisms of how the photolysis of water can be used to produce hydrogen fuel. The design of the photocatalysts and solar cell, as the photolysis device, has also been discussed in detail.
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