Abstract:
Solar-to-chemical energy conversion provides a means to overcome the energy crisis
and environmental issues presently faced by mankind. Increase in energy
consumption and rise in the atmospheric levels of CO2 due to the burning of carbonbased
fuels, both these problems are faced today.[1] There have been efforts to
develop clean, reliable, environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative energy
sources. Nature provides us a strategy to overcome the energy crisis employing the
photosynthesis process which uses earth-abundant water and CO2 in the conversion
of solar energy to chemical fuels. Production of a clean energy source such as
hydrogen from water, using solar energy by mimicking photosynthesis would be a
worthwhile task. It should be noted that hydrogen is a green-energy source with a
chemical energy density of 142 MJ/kg.