Summary
Solar energy is the biggest renewable energy source available with solar thermal power plants, and photovoltaics are already utilized all over the world. Another utilization is the photocatalytic water splitting (PWS) for solar‐driven hydrogen (H2) production to integrate renewable energies into our energy mix and make energy storage and transportation easier. It has the big advantage that H2, in contrast to electricity, can be stored in an easier manner. In recent years, the research on PWS made major progresses in regard to technology and the photocatalyst material. The goal of this review is to give an overview of the basic ideas of PWS, as well as some methodologies that have been applied in recent years. In particular, sacrificial reagent systems, Z‐scheme systems, plasmonic systems, and the use of cocatalysts will be elucidated. In addition, the most recent studies on photocatalytic hydrogen generation utilizing graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4), a hot topic in this field, will be discussed.
Summary
Anthropogenic activities including the combustion of fossil fuels have led to a dramatic increase in the rate of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in the last three decades. Since fossil‐based fuels are still the predominant energy source for this century, CO2 is a colossal problem. It is emitted as a consequence of combustion and human activities and is a major greenhouse gas (GHG) that significantly contributes to climate change and global warming, making CO2 emission a worldwide problem. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has proposed a 45% decrease in anthropogenic CO2 emissions by 2030, with a target of “net‐zero” CO2 emissions by 2050. Despite its harmful effects, CO2 has the potential to be used for a wide range of different industrial needs, after its capture. CO2 capture technologies are still in the early stage of development because of economic and technological issues. However, in the future, carbon capture and related application technologies and methods may become easier and more accessible due to the new developments in the materials synthesis, strategies and skills and inexpensive utilization, and functioning cost of the employed methods. Furthermore, carbon capture system (CCS) might improve the recent power plan system properties. Concerning climate change, carbon capture is deemed as a promising solution to prevent CO2 emissions. CO2 capture, storage, and utilization are garnering intensive interest from scientists worldwide. This review paper identifies and gave particular attention to the literature on the recent CO2 capture technologies, for example, adsorption, absorption, membrane, and algae‐based separation techniques for pre‐combustion, oxy‐fuel combustion, and post‐combustion periods. Aside from all of these capture technologies, the utilization and application of captured CO2 in various industrial fields such as solvents, chemicals, and fuels are evaluated.
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