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A Study on Conversion of Solar Energy from Photosynthesis to Artificial Photosynthesis

Sonia Gawande, A Solanki

Abstract


Solar energy has a boundless prospective as a clean, cheap, renewable and sustainable energy source, but it must be taken and converted into valuable forms of energy as plants do. An especially attractive methodology is to store solar energy in the form of chemical bonds as accomplished in natural photosynthesis. Thus, there is a challenge in the past years to construct artificial photosynthetic methodology, which proficiently capture and convert solar energy and store it in the form of chemical bonds of solar fuels such as hydrogen or hydrogen peroxide, while at the time producing oxygen from water. This paper review the molecular level of the natural photosynthesis, mainly the mechanism of light dependent reactions in oxygen evolving organisms, absorption efficiency of solar energy and direct energy production. Finally the artificial photosynthesis is discussed, which is composed of light harvesting and charge-separation units together with catalytic units of water oxidation and reduction as well as CO2 reduction. Lastly the photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide as a more favorable solar fuel is discussed in relation with the natural photosynthesis, which also produces hydrogen peroxide in addition to NADPH.

Keywords: Natural photosynthesis, artificial photosynthesis, semi-artificial photosynthesis

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References


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