Solar-driven thermochemical conversion of H2O and CO2 into sustainable fuels

Linyang Wei; Zhefei Pan; Xingyi Shi; Oladapo Christopher Esan; Guojun Li; Hong Qi; Qixing Wu; Liang An

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.108127

Solar-driven thermochemical conversion of H₂O and CO₂ into sustainable fuels

iScience. 2023 Oct 5;26(11):108127. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108127. eCollection 2023 Nov 17.

Authors

Linyang Wei^{1

2}, Zhefei Pan¹, Xingyi Shi¹, Oladapo Christopher Esan¹, Guojun Li², Hong Qi³, Qixing Wu⁴, Liang An¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
² School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China.
³ School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China.
⁴ Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Lithium-ion Batteries and Mesoporous Materials, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.

Abstract

Solar-driven thermochemical conversion of H₂O and CO₂ into sustainable fuels, based on redox cycle, provides a promising path for alternative energy, as it employs the solar energy as high-temperature heat supply and adopts H₂O and CO₂ as initial feedstock. This review describes the sustainable fuels production system, including a series of physical and chemical processes for converting solar energy into chemical energy in the form of sustainable fuels. Detailed working principles, redox materials, and key devices are reviewed and discussed to provide systematic and in-depth understanding of thermochemical fuels production with the aid of concentrated solar power technology. In addition, limiting factors affecting the solar-to-fuel efficiency are analyzed; meanwhile, the improvement technologies (heat recovery concepts and designs) are summarized. This study therefore sets a pathway for future research works based on the current status and demand for further development of such technologies on a commercial scale.

Keywords: Energy materials; Energy sustainability; Engineering.

Publication types

Review