Yang Li,Kai Luo,Ran Tao,Zhiyong Wang,Daifen Chen,Zongping Shao
According to the classic concept of photovoltaic devices, p–n junctions and heterojunctions are indispensable for carrier separation. Herein, for the first time, a novel concept of “anisotropic crystal facet unit” is put forward and clarified for photovoltaic and thermoelectric power generation. Specifically, an “anisotropic crystal facet unit” in monocrystalline p-Cu 2 O between the {100} and the {111} crystal faces is built, which can fulfill self-motivated carrier separation, due to their natural energy difference. The “anisotropic crystal facet unit” devices can directly and efficiently convert light and heat into electricity, where the {100} and the {111} faces act as the cathode and the anode, respectively. Moreover, hot and cold regions are unnecessary when the “anisotropic crystal facet unit” is applied in thermoelectric conversion. These findings may update the understanding of solar cells and thermoelectric cells, and blaze a new trail through the development of efficient and low-cost energy utilization technologies.
Shu Zhao,Yiran Zhang,Yirui Ning,Linjia Li,Junfeng Lu,Xiaochao Wang,Fudong Wang,Zhidong Wei,Zhen Huang,He Lin
High energy consumption during regeneration is an important challenge of direct air capture (DAC) technology. Direct Joule heating regeneration is an advanced DAC regeneration technology with a simple system, generating heat inside the material for rapid heating, and supports the use of renewable energy by automated control. We developed a self-conductive amine-functionalized adsorbent that converts renewable electricity into heat, and studied the effects of conductive agent content, amine type, and pore structure. The adsorbent can achieve Joule heating with minimal mass fraction of electrically conductive component, resulting in a high specific capacity and avoiding significant sensible heat consumption, thus leading to low regeneration energy requirements. The Ad-0.48PE/0.32HP/0.20CB adsorbent achieved 2.4 mmol/g CO2 capacity, 120 s desorption time, and 3.5–3.7 GJ/tonne CO2 energy consumption. We built a prototype machine, confirming that the material can achieve rapid regeneration and multiple cycles entirely powered by photovoltaic electricity. Our findings highlight the potential of conductive amine-functionalized adsorbents for DAC technology.
CO 2 methanation offers a practical solution for sustainable, renewable energy storage and long-term space exploration missions. However, conventional direct solar-driven photothermal systems suffer from thermal response hysteresis and dynamic temperature fluctuations, undermining methane yield stability and limiting their applicability under high gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) conditions. Herein, a round-the-clock CO 2 methanation system is pioneered that integrates photovoltaic power generation with induction heating by a rapid-response electromagnetic metamaterial (EEM), serving as both a catalyst and a susceptor. The EMM assembles single atoms, nanoclusters, and nanotubes into a macrostructure by a 3D-printed strategy and rapidly reaches the methanation temperature of 300 °C within just 36 s at a frequency of 297 kHz with an input power of 461 W, achieving a substantially great CH 4 space-time-yield of 821 mmol g cat −1 h −1 at an ultra-high GHSV of 150 000 mL g cat −1 h −1 . The outdoor photovoltaic-driven induction heating system maintains stable production with a cumulative CH 4 output of 1373.2 L over one week, shielding the system from environmental instability. Notably, this system exhibits a solar-to-chemical energy efficiency of 13% and achieves 20% energy savings compared with conventional electric heating technologies, offering a prospective avenue for efficient and stable CO 2 methanation.
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