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Because fossil energy resources will eventually be depleted, and because of environmental problems such as global warming, it is important to develop technology that will contribute to providing clean and safe energy. At present, expectations are high for using solar energy effectively. At the Institute, studies of artificial photosynthesis continue, a process in which water is directly photodecomposed into oxygen and hydrogen, using a semiconductor photocatalyst. The process simulates plant photo-synthesis, where light energy is converted into chemical energy. Recent studies at the Institute discovered that adding carbonate to a suspended reaction solution markedly improves the activity of the photo-decomposition of water. Research also continues into the development of semiconductor catalysts for more efficient artificial photosynthesis. Other studies include the cleaning of the environment by decomposing harmful substances in water or air by using solar energy and the strong oxidation/reduction of photocatalysts.
Artifcial photosynthesis technology by use of cataytic functional material |