Light, Water, Hydrogen: The Solar Generation Of Hydrogen By Water Photoelectrolysis Solar Generation Of Hydrogen By Water Photoelectrolysis

The development of a direct, inexpensive, and efficient method for converting solar energy into a portable, clean fuel would allow elimination of the growing problems associated with the ever increasing use of fossil fuels and the reality of their rapid depletion. As the title suggests, Light, Water, Hydrogen: The Solar Generation of Hydrogen by Water Photoelectrolysis, considers the combination of water and light with a suitable semiconductor to achieve a safe, renewable and therefore inexhaustable means for hydrogen generation via the splitting of the water molecule, or photoelectrolysis. The authors consider the impact of recent advances in nanotechnology on the water photoelectrolysis field, providing specific examples as well as the theories and methods necessary for achieving useful water photoelectrolysis systems. Written for users in a wide range of disciplines, including materials scientists, chemists, electrical engineers, and physicists, Light, Water, Hydrogen: The Solar Generation of Hydrogen by Water Photoelectrolysis is an up-to-date, invaluable resource for graduate students and researchers. In addition to domestic animals the earliest records of mankind indicate that slavery, until the use of coal became widespread, has always been a significant aspect, or part, of nearly every society. Consider for example ancient Attica (Greece), in which 115,000 out of a total population of 315,000 were slaves [1]. For the lucky rulers slaves represented power, Joule/second or Watt. On a steady state basis a healthy adult generates about 100 Watts, or 100 J/s, while a highly conditioned endurance athlete can generate about 300 W for perhaps an hour. Today we obtain our energy from fossil fuels, that magical brew of latent-heat chemistry that allows us to run the world without having to rely on people or domestic animal power. We owe much if not all of modern civilization to fossil fuels, no more than stored solar energy, which provide the 40-plus Terawatts that annually powers the? 7,000,000,000 people on this planet, with our fossil fuel burn rate growing to accommodate the annual increase of some additional 100,000,000 or so souls. The foundation of modern society is a pile (lake) of priceless, irreplaceable fossil fuel that, by any measure of the energy you get and what you pay, is all intents free, and being virtually free we have and continue to burn our way through it as fast as we possibly can. It is the tragedy of the (fossil fuel) commons. "The development of a direct, inexpensive, and efficient method for converting solar energy into a portable, clean fuel would allow elimination of the growing problems associated with the ever increasing use of fossil fuels and the reality of their rapid depletion. As the title suggests, Light, Water, Hydrogen: The Solar Generation of Hydrogen by Water Photoelectrolysis, considers the combination of water and light with a suitable semiconductor to achieve a sale, renewable and therefore inexhaustable means for hydrogen generation via the splitting of the water molecule, or photoelectrolysis."--Jacket This book covers the field of solar production of hydrogen by water photo-splitting (photoelectrolysis) using semiconductor photoanodes. The emphasis of the discussion is on the use of nanotechnology in the field. The theories behind photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical processes responsible for hydrogen production are given in detail. This provides a state-of-the-art review of the semiconductor materials and methods used for improving the efficiency of the processes. The book also gives an account of the techniques used for making the nanostructures.