Artificial Photosynthesis Device Development for CO 2 Photoelectrochemical Conversion.

Development of a photoelectrochemical conversion device, operated at room temperature and ambient pressure with only ultraviolet radiation as an energy source is presented. We report a nanocomposite platform that combines a photocatalyst and an electrocatalyst capable of reducing gaseous Carbon Dioxide, without using external electricity. The composite catalyst produces Methane from Carbon Dioxide and atmospheric water vapor at an initial high conversion rate of 2596 μL of CH 4 per gram of catalyst per hour, which is amongst the highest reported. Our new approach offers a versatile solution to reduce the rising level of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide where a source of light is available.