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Semiconductor-Catalyst Combo Captures Energy To Drive Chemical Reactions
By Connor O’Neil
Plants and algae make their fuel from sunlight. Perhaps we could do the same using semiconductors. A team of scientists at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) made strides in that direction.
A molecular catalyst (multicolored ball-and-stick model) and silicon nanocrystal (sphere made up of gold balls) form hybrid states (green and blue mixture linked to the silicon nanocrystal). These enable high-energy charges to persist for an exceptionally long time (blue radiant energy circles coming off the catalyst and silicon nanocrystal). Illustration by Joshua Bauer, Trung Le, and Nathan Neale, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
