Exploiting Sun’s Energy Effectively as a Source of Renewable Energy

Abstract

Using Sun’s energy effectively to drive important, industrially relevant chemical reactions is currently an area of research that is attracting a large attention. This route circumvents our reliance on non-renewable sources of energy and more importantly prevents the release of hazardous pollutants as a byproduct. One such reaction that has a large industrial relevance is the splitting of water to release hydrogen and oxygen. This is a thermodynamically energy intensive reaction, and the most relevant aspect is that hydrogen gas is the product which is being touted as a fuel of the future. Its energy density value is higher than other commercially relevant fuels, and its combustion only produces water as a byproduct with zero carbon footprint. Presented here are the current routes being considered for effective water splitting and the fundamental principles that need to be considered when pursuing new directions in this area.