Sustainable energy research at DCU
Global climate change and security of energy supply are increasingly perceived as the most serious threats facing the world’s medium and long term future. It is clear that increasing CO2 concentrations have the potential to seriously damage our environment and sustainable novel methods to reduce CO2 concentrations are needed. Therefore, EU and G8 leaders agreed in 2009 that carbon dioxide emissions must be cut by 80% by 2050.
The “hydrogen economy” is often mentioned as a solution since as a fuel, hydrogen is non-polluting and does not produce CO2. The ultimate realisation of a hydrogen-based economy could potentially result in enormous environmental, societal and economic benefits, together with enhanced security of energy supply. However, the transition from a carbon-based (fossil fuel) energy system to a hydrogen-based economy involves significant scientific, technological and societal barriers. Furthermore, to achieve the full environmental benefit of hydrogen as an energy carrier, low carbon, low polluting, and lower cost processes for producing hydrogen from renewable energy sources must be developed.
Dr. Mary Pryce and her research group at the School of Chemical Sciences in DCU have demonstrated the first step towards the development of a green approach to CO2 reduction and recycling. The researchers used the ‘solar fuel’ approach, which aims to deliver a sunlight-driven, and therefore environmentally friendly, technology that can efficiently produce hydrogen from water or other fuels or chemical feed stocks from carbon dioxide. To achieve this, a light-absorbing centre was connected via a bridge to a catalytic centre that can generate hydrogen. It is envisaged that after absorption of light by the light-absorbing part of the assembly, an electron is transferred via the bridge to the catalytic centre where it is used to produce hydrogen from water. The full details of the project can be found in STRIVE report “New approaches for the generation of hydrogen form water using visible light”.